Kingdom Hearts: Fear of the Darkness
by MindReader13
Summary: Finale of The Existence Trilogy. After twelve years, Riku's ready to give up in his fight but when the Unversed get a new leader and he seeks aid, he finds unbearable loyalty in Sora and Kairi and a decision must be made: join with Maleficent...or die.
1. Prologue: Birth of a New Day

**Author's Note: Hello there! Welcome if you're new, and welcome back if you're not! This is it! The installment you've all been waiting for at last: the finale to the epic Existence Trilogy. I have lots of juicy stuff planned. If you want the synopsis of the full two stories before this then just let me know and I can try to PM it to you…though it's pretty long…In either case, this will finally end my trilogy (and possibly my fan fiction writing forever, depending on what I decide to do…).**

**So welcome and prepare to step into the world that is **_**Fear of the Darkness**_**. Unlike all my other stories, I think the title is fairly self evident. Now, this is certainly the darkest, if not the most political piece in the trilogy so feel free to pass judgment any time, I guess. And if you'd like, pass around word of this story so that my last story can go out with a hurrah of a bunch of reviews!! Now then, if you're ready, let us begin where we practically left off, chronicling the final adventure and transformation of Sora from man to hero to leader. Oh, and yes, do read the prologue since unlike **_**Twisted Souls**_** it actually has new information. So with out further ado, I present: **

Kingdom Hearts

Fear of the Darkness

_Book III of **The Existence Trilogy**_

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts but I own this plotline of this finale as well as all my OCs.**

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We all have fear of the night;

_Of the darkness that is to come_

_Sometimes 'tis stronger than light_

_And only lets live some._

_So raise thy torch to the sky_

_And let it never be snuffed_

_Because if we give in, we die_

_Where the fear of the darkness is enough…_

Prologue

Birth of a New Day

_Roughly Nine Months after _Twisted Souls

_"Riku…What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?" Sora quickly gasped in the waiting room just inside the hospital. He was panicking, that much was for sure and Riku almost felt that his best friend would go into hysterics at the event going on._

_"Relax…you've faced down Heartless and Nobodies on a daily basis. You've fought against the likes of Maleficent, Organization XIII and…Gentai." Riku said, the last name sending a pang through his heart. It had almost been a year, roughly ten months now, since the Key of the Future had been snuffed out like a candle, his light fading with his existence. But for the most part he had been able to repress the memories of the boy with whom he had formed just as indelible of a friendship with as he had with Sora, the man, soon to be father, standing in front of him. Riku put hands on both of his best friend's shoulders. "You will be absolutely fine."_

_"But how do I know that?" Sora gasped out, freaking out beyond anything Riku had seen in the worlds. For the Keyblade Master, he certainly looked pale as chalk at the prospect and though that in only a few minutes he would be a father. "I mean…what if I'm not a good father? What if I made a mistake? You know about my father!!" Riku scoffed and flopped himself back onto the couch that was sitting in the Radiant Garden Hospital Waiting Room. He thought that Sora had certainly come a long way to restore this place in the nine and a half months that he had been king. He had set up a good medical welfare program and was even working on getting people shelter before himself. Their castle wouldn't even be completed for another six months, though they could move in after three. Riku suddenly became aware that Sora was still droning on, but didn't realize he hadn't comprehended a word before Sora spoke up angrily. "Hey! Are you even listening to me, anymore Riku?!"_

_"I'm sorry, what?" Riku said, snapping out of his reverie towards Radiant Garden. "I kind of zoned out after the word 'but'." Riku said, knowing full well that he was about to incur the wrath of his best friend, Keyblade Master, and now king of Radiant Garden._

_"Oh, shut it. I was talking about my father, and how I don't want to end up like him!!" Sora yelled and Riku arched an eyebrow to him, fixing him with a strange stare. "What?!"_

_"Sora…your father never really loved your mother, you know that? He did for a few years but then work got in the way for him. He took on too much and it broke him." Riku told his best friend and for a moment it seemed able to soothe the young man of twenty one soon to be twenty-two. "He snapped and ran because he would rather flee than face the truth about himself…just like I had almost nine years ago…"_

_"Yeah, but that's over for you now Riku…" Sora sighed out and Riku nodded, agreeing with him. After all, Xehanort was gone from within him. He had questioned both the king and Yen Sid about it for weeks after it had occurred and they came to one conclusion: Gentai had grown close to the darkness and for but a moment he had managed to ally himself with it in order to make Riku face his darkness. At the time, he was kind of pissed with it, but he realized that now, it was for the better. He no longer had to live with that torment._

_"Sora, the point is, you love Kairi, and you always will." Riku smiled at his best friend, even as the pain of knowing that he couldn't possibly know what love is again shot through him. "And besides, you've handled so much over the past few years, heck, even the past few months that I'm sure you can handle anything!" Sora smiled and nodded his head, slumping into a chair near Riku. He let out a long sigh._

_"I just can't believe I'm going to be a father…" Sora sighed out in disbelief. Even now that Kairi had gone into labor; the reality was still at the end of a distant tunnel to Sora._

_"Get used to it, buddy…you've got twins coming…so, deal with it." Riku said, propping his head on a pillow and stretching out a bit more, yawning the whole time. Sora yanked the pillow out from under him and hit Riku over the head. Riku just grimaced and sat up._

_"Hey! No falling asleep on me!" Sora yelled and he threatened to hit him with the pillow again. Riku laughed. He could think of a far more effective weapon…but this _was_ a hospital. There was a small silence of about a minute before Sora asked Riku something. "So, how're things at the Order?"_

_"Oh, they're just fine!" Riku said sarcastically because, in truth, things were not going fine. And he quickly listed why. The Order was growing rapidly, now they were at the size of 200. This was not to mention that there was starting to be a murmur of dissent among some members. While the generals did remain, Riku was growing quite wary of all their intentions save for Marcus, Antonio, Donato, and Matthias who had all pledged their allegiance to him and his goals. The problem was that many within the Order didn't even trust each other save for all the younger, newer members. And that was the ultimate issue. Some members had left to become mercenaries and while they were never heard from, it still worried Riku. Then there was the mini-war going on within the generals. It almost seemed that a war between the younger members (Marcus, Antonio and Donato) and some of the older members (Cothius and Onyx) was starting to escalate, and it would only be a matter of time before their own Order was launched into a civil war._

_It made Riku admire Edge all the more for what he had had to put up with before all of this. Of course, there was still some issue of Maleficent and the fact that nobody had heard from her or seen her in months. Riku had mobilized task forces to go out and search for the Mistress of Evil, but overall, no one could find hide nor hair of her or Pete. That disturbed Riku but with the Heartless and Nobodies gone, it made his life much easier. But the Unbirths were formidable enemies in and of themselves. That encroaching threat and with Riku's decision to assign pairs of Keyblade wielders to separate segments of the worlds was spreading the Order thin. And this was giving him less control over the people and even less time to get out of Crown Fortress. This was a very rare and very special occasion that had warranted him the chance to leave. "But other than that everything's peachy!"_

_"So it sounds like you're having fun?" Sora said with a grin and the two laughed boisterously before Aerith stepped into the room. Sora quickly stopped laughing and stood up from his seat. He looked at Aerith with slight worry as her face was enigmatic and unreadable. She then smiled warmly._

_"Congratulations, Sora, you have fraternal twins, a boy and a girl." Aerith announced and Riku clapped his best friend on the back. But Sora asked about the one closest to his heart._

_"Kairi?" He asked tentatively._

_"She's tired and she'll probably be a bit cranky, but she'll be fine." Sora at last heaved a sigh of relief as Aerith left the room and the two of them alone._

_"Any idea what you're gonna name your kids?" Riku asked, truly inquisitive as to what names would be given the children. Sora smiled and shrugged his shoulders._

_"What do you think? We have a boy and a girl…this was something we decided on a long time ago." Sora said cheerily, his demeanor obviously having improved. Riku waited a moment before Sora let him know. "Gentai and Demora."_

_"Oh." Riku said shortly. Just another reminder of how much had been lost in the last year._

_"Yeah…you and Queen Minnie were named godparents to Gentai; I figured you'd like that." Riku nodded and mumbled a thanks. Clearly this had been decided the moment they found out they were having twins, but Riku had never been here before. "And we named Leon and Aerith godparents to Demora. They almost seemed embarrassed about it, being like 'parents' but they readily accepted. Would rather have Aerith over Yuffie…she's way too excited about babies, you know." Riku smiled. He was happy; happier than he had been in a long time. Sora let out a small sigh but Riku clapped him on the back again._

_"Come on Your Highness, let's go and see those bright shining babies of yours!" Riku said and he began to lead Sora off. As they walked, Sora's smile grew wider. He was a father! And for once, just once in over nine years, things were going exactly right._

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Author's Note: And of course, we all know that the crap is going to hit the fan next chapter! I hope you enjoyed the prologue. It gave a recap, gives hints as to what's on the horizon, and it witnesses the birth of Gentai and Demora, Sora and Kairi's twins!!! Who didn't see that naming coming? Now I've explained how Gentai caused Riku's possession in the last installment. If you read it, you know what I'm talking about. If you didn't…well, hurry up and read it. Twiddles thumbs. Snaps fingers. Hums tune to "Be Our Guest" (Silly Style). Nope, no more waiting! First chapter is also up so click on and take a look-see. And by the way, there will be slight Leon/Aerith pairing in here since there is reference in the game (and who said it needs to be Cloud/Aerith anyway since Clifa rocks better and so does Zerith). In any case, review my chapters (including this one) separately please, please mention the tone poems as I put a lot of work into them, and Dare to Be Silly.


	2. Chapter 1: Commence Training

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kingdom Hearts in any way shape or form.**

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Chapter 1

Commence Training

_Eleven Years and Two Months Later…_

(_Twelve Years after _Twisted Souls)

_The night suits me well_, thought the black robed figure standing in the hollow and barren reaches of the Vanishing Planet. He had the hood covering his face. His robe was made of a light material and a light weave comparative to what the former Organization XIII had worn, and ironically, what the last man who had made on this planet had worn. It was more like a simple cloak anyway, used merely to cover his distinctive feature. Underneath, he still wore all black clothing, with decently baggy pants and a tunic that showed, only slightly, his toned muscles. He thought black was the best, like his deeds, like his name, with nothing but twisted souls for comfort with him for the most part.

The man, usually patient, was beginning to become quite nervous that the man who he had been waiting here to meet had yet to show himself. It wasn't like his informants to be late. He scowled underneath his hood and leaned against an old stone monolith, one of the only distinctive features of the landscape on the Vanishing Planet. Still, he had to be merited on his decision of a base. This place was practically a place of endless pain for Riku, the head of that _blasted_ Order of the Crown. He had watched his best friend die here thirteen years ago, that was why he would never stand where he was standing; why Riku would never set foot on this planet or dare to even look for him here.

It was easy for the man to make a base here after he had been spurned by the Order and after he had gained power unlike any other. Zexion's base was easy to modify to his own specifications and make a fortress that was nigh impenetrable. He chuckled to himself as he thought of that place's previous inhabitant. Why had the Organization worn those silly cloaks to protect themselves from the darkness? The darkness couldn't harm them any more than the light could. They were weak. That was the only conclusion that the man could come to. Of course, in these days, there was no need to fear the darkness…well, not yet in any case. But if his own plan succeeded, there would be a need to fear the darkness indeed.

But first, the planning and positioning needed to be finished. After all, the darkness was all but vanquished, dwelling only in the smallest amounts of those who had aligned themselves with evil. People like…Maleficent. Yes, the witch had been missing for eleven years. When he had first been rejected, he had sought the old sorceress, but clearly her power was broken and she could be of absolutely no use to him anymore. The Heartless and Nobodies were gone, and with them, Maleficent's former strength. To believe that the witch who had once had the power of Kingdom Hearts nearly in her grasp, who had incinerated the world of Agradar, and who had killed off Edge, Edge of all people who was the strongest in the Order next to himself, would now be reduced to just a stooping old hag, hiding somewhere with Pete. They were cowards. He, however, was not.

That was the reason he sought the power of the Unbirths. They were power that barely any who lived in this generation had ever seen. He knew very little about them when he had started out, what was it, ten years ago. He barely knew they existed, having never fought any of them himself. But during his searches for Maleficent, during his encounters with them, what had started out as a struggle slowly turned into a sick admiration for the creatures that bred through death, by sucking on the souls of those who had died. And he could give them just that. He could let them revel in it. He sought that power for years and at last…two years ago, he acquired it as he sank further into the realm close to darkness but not exactly there as it did not exist. And thus everything began.

The night was deepening and the man scowled. It was getting closer to dawn and still his informant had not come. He didn't like this. If the person he was looking for was not here by dawn he could only fear that the worst had happened and he was exposed. And with the sky reaching its darkest moment he knew that nigh would soon begin to arch its way towards dawn. There was a soft padding of footsteps behind him and the monument. Fleeting…but still there. The man smirked and whipped around summoning his Keyblade into his hand in an instant. There was the resounding clash of metal on metal for a moment before the two Keyblades that had connected drew off of each other. The man chanced a brief look at his Keyblade, Nightwatch, a pale blue and black color but whose features were indiscernible even in the moonlight save for the Keychain hanging from it in the shape of a moon. He looked to the younger man across from him.

_Much younger…but that's what I need right now: youth._ He found himself thinking. He took a glance at the other man's, no _boy's_ Keyblade. It was green and showed up clearly in the moonlight. It's blade on the end was a rather large leaf that was attached to what looked like a wooden stick that spread downward to a hand guard made of wood. The handle of the Keyblade itself was made of bamboo and was the strongest there could be. The man snorted as he saw the blade. _Nature's Wrath._ That was the name of a Keyblade…last he remembered, unless it had since changed

"You're late." the man grumbled out, obviously displeased. The boy across from him shrugged, his face still hidden in the shadows of the moonlight.

"It's hard for me to get Riku to loosen the leash lately!" the boy grumbled out in a rather deep voice. "He's becoming more paranoid by the minute, I swear." There was a deep sighing noise from the boy and the man in black chuckled.

"He has every right to be after all." the man countered, glad to hear of the turmoil still engulfing the Order. Even under Riku's rule, it was still a dying breed…always had been, always would be. And he was going to prove it. "I trust that everything is in place?"

"It took a little finagling within the generals and the taskmasters but we got it sorted. Two loyal Keyblade wielders on the worlds of Agrabah, Wonderland, Enchanted Dominion, Beast's Castle, Castle of Dreams, and Fabled Countryside. All of them await your orders there, sir, down to the last rank and file." the boy answered proudly, clearly consumed with happiness that he had completed the task handed down to him. The black robed man let out a small chuckle.

"That's a new one isn't it?" The younger boy cocked his head at the man in confusion. "I've never really _led_ before. Oh, I've come close, certainly…but never led. This will be an interesting show to put on."

"But, sir, why did you not order to place a pair on Radiant Garden? I mean, even if the Keyblade Master resides there, we could still take the princess." the boy said. He then picked up a tone of amusement. "I mean…she is just an amateur Keyblade wielder."

"Oh ho, you think so? Clearly you need to break the impression that women are weak. Face my sister in battle and we'll see how you fare." the man said in a snicker before he quickly waved the matter aside. "But no, I'd rather just have those six worlds occupied, thank you. Why massacre yourselves going after seven when we can capture the six and bring them _to_ the seventh. That's even easier, and more skillful. None of them will see it coming, you understand?"

"I understand sir, but, I must ask why we don't launch an attack now?! With the Unbirths the worlds will easily crumble within a day!" the boy protested and he instantly perceived that the man, despite being hidden in the shadows of the moonlight, adopted a severe look of displeasure.

"Without the powers of Kingdom Hearts at my disposal…everything we have worked for will be useless!" the man snapped. "And besides…recent events must be examined. I felt a breach in the wall between light and darkness."

"The Realm of Nothingness?" the boy asked, his brown hair extending into the moonlight slightly. "I'm afraid I don't understand. Nothing escapes that realm, even with coexistence and co-assistance." The man shrugged his shoulders a bit.

"Does it really matter? All of you are to do your jobs as commanded." the man snapped authoritatively. "I will examine these two disturbances that I've sensed in the wall and see if we can perhaps use them to our advantage. One of darkness…and one of light. Perhaps both of them may help us in some way to bring back the darkness." He then rounded on the boy and glared at him, his deep black eyes dissolving into the night. "In the meantime…you will wait for my command. You know the plan. Stick to it! We have no time for mess-ups. I'll contact our forces when I have more information."

"But sir, what of the Order?" the boy asked and the man smirked, giving a rather evil chuckle.

"They will be dealt with in due time…but not right now. I'll send them a warning shot tomorrow, but relax. For now…be content with this: the Keyblade wielders are obsolete. Their stains will soon be washed away from the worlds. They have no place in my universe." the man answered. The boy bowed to him and a portal of light opened up behind the boy, and yet in this dampened place, it revealed nothing. And soon the boy was gone. The man summoned Nightwatch back to his hand and opened up his fortress below. He began to stride in.

It would soon be the end of the worlds as they all knew it.

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The nineteen year old, silver-haired boy crouched low. He was waiting on edge for the signal to come, the signal to start the operation. It went off like a flare in his head despite the fact it was just the simple command of _Commence_ that was fed into the earpiece placed into his ear. He smirked and ran forward. In a flash of light, he summoned his Keyblade to his hand, the Keyblade he had received five years ago. He ran forward, dashing through the Sunset Terrace of Twilight Town. He kept his eyes and his ears pealed for any sign of danger, or of the Unbirths. He was also keen to remain undetected by the citizens and pedestrians in the streets.

_This would be so much easier if I could just cut through the Underground Concourse and cut out to Station Plaza…then I wouldn't have to hop a ride on a freaking train speeding towards Central Station_, the boy thought to himself and he scowled. He hated these assignments. It was almost as if they wanted them to take the long way around. The boy almost paid for his momentary lapse of attention when an Unbirth hurtled out of nowhere, it's armor clanking viciously. The Unbirth leapt on top of him. The boy whipped his Keyblade around to the back of the creature and struck it in the back.

This gave him some small amount of time to make sure that the creature was at last able to get off of him. He quickly used his hands to flip himself up before backing up with yet another flip. He held his Keyblade again as the Unbirth flew at him. The boy smiled and did a little dance with the Unbirth before moving in quickly for the kill. _Too easy…_

"Five minutes until departure from Sunset Station." said a cool female voice over the intercom from Sunset Station.

"Damn!" the boy cursed and he knew there was no time. He started running quickly. The rooftops would have been faster, but this was stealth mission which required the utmost secrecy. Running on the roofs would attract far too much attention and would no doubt cause him to fail the mission. The boy quickly leapt up to the steps near Sunset Station and he instantly remembered one sentence _These steps count differently going up and down…_ The boy snorted in denial. He remembered his master telling him those words from what he had seen in a simulation of this same town. He would have loved to count these steps on his own but he knew that there was very little time left. He at last reached the top step when the train began to move. Oh well, he didn't need to catch the train anyway…well, at least, not in the way most _normal_ people caught the train. The train began to pull out of the station and the boy, making sure no one was looking, jumped up quickly. He grabbed the edge of the ledge and flipped himself up on top of the awning over the station. He ran to the edge and saw the train pulling ahead.

_All right, let's see just how good I am_, the boy thought cockily. He dismissed his Keyblade for a moment and shook out his limbs. He backed up on the awning quietly and then ran forward at full speed. He leapt off the edge of the awning and towards the train that was speeding away towards Sunset Station. He was going to be _just_ short of missing the train. He flailed his arms wildly and managed to catch onto the back of the train with one hand. _Well, that didn't go nearly as well as I thought it would_. He hopped up onto the train and summoned his Keyblade. He chuckled to himself. It was ironic that he was using _this_ particular Keyblade in _this_ particular world.

Pale Twilight. That was the name of his Keyblade. The wonderful and pristine white and black marble surface with the symbol of the old Round of the Crown being its Keychain. The blade itself was that of a crown. The boy had only heard once from his _master_ the story of the Keyblade's previous owner: Gentai Tanaka. The boy who was known as the Key of the Future in his time. Some title that turned out to be since he nearly condemned the worlds by blowing about five or six of them to kingdom come. Yeah, so what if he destroyed the Heartless and the Nobodies for good…it didn't really matter did it? The Keyblade chose him as its new master…and that was the way it was going to stay.

Suddenly a flock of flying Unbirths came flying around them. _Great, the bird brigade is here…_the boy savagely thought. They quickly came at him and he whipped Pale Twilight around, swiping through them. Some of them, many of them, actually, evaded the blow. The boy decided to take a new and slightly different approach to the situation.

"The birdies want to play? All right, just CHILL!" He let ice fly from the tip of his Keyblade and freeze the birds before they could escape. He saluted them all as the chunks of ice fell to the railroad tracks and scattered into a million pieces. Piece of cake. The boy's eyes narrowed and zeroed in on the building that the train was fast approaching. He needed to get off the train soon and get out to Station Plaza before anyone saw him. The doors to Central Station opened before him and as the train started slowing down and pulling in, the boy lowered himself so as to not be hit by the wall. He suddenly sprang out of his crouch and landed with a roll onto the tiles floors of Central Station.

Without another look at the station he dashed towards the exit. He went to push the doors open but found them…locked? Doors like this were never locked. Unless…it didn't matter. The boy held Pale Twilight in front of him and unlocked the door easily. He dashed out quickly. Hopefully no one saw him. At last he once more reached the sunset bathed streets of Twilight Town only to see a number of those generic Unbirths swarming around him with the "Giant" Unbirths as he liked to refer to them scattered in the crowd.

"Ooh…so this is it huh? Let's play." the boy said with a smirk and the Unbirths leapt at him. He quickly ducked down and kicked at them, his Keyblade sweeping along with his leg. They cut through the Unbirths. They were pieces of cake now…and if they were easy it almost made the boy want to fight these Heartless or Nobodies to see if he could fight off a thousand of them without getting hurt or tired. He brought his sweeping leg up and spun his Keyblade around his body in a large twirling fashion, cutting away those few Unbirths foolish enough to try and jump at him. One of the Giants approached him. He angled his Keyblade before him and spat out some fire to eliminate the Unbirths there before jumping back and tossing Pale Twilight at the Unbirth. It managed to connect and the Unbirth disappeared. But then the boy suddenly felt his legs and arms constrict as he was suddenly held against his will. He cocked his head behind him and saw that he was being held by another Giant. "Ugh…not again…Riku's gonna kill me."

Suddenly his hands were free and he dropped to the ground. He spun around to his back and saw Riku standing there, Way to Dawn extended and impaling the Giant Unbirth. He had a stern look on his face that nevertheless showed his disappointment. Riku was still wearing his yellow jacket and purple shirt underneath along with his purple pants and his hair was still yet longer than it had been before…but only by a little. And he wasn't happy…at all.

"Hey…Master Riku!" the boy said sheepishly and Riku's eyes narrowed towards him. He withdrew his Keyblade from the Unbirth and it disappeared. He took a small remote out of his pocket and clicked it. Suddenly the room digitized away and the other Unbirths along with it. He extended a hand to the boy and he took it. The boy quickly summoned his Keyblade back to his hand to make sure that he still had it, and he did.

"Sikaru Giraffi." Riku said in his usual tone he had when dealing with his young apprentice. Not that he was Riku's first apprentice, Sikaru knew that. There had been Juthias before him for a few years. "Sikaru, I had to save your butt in the training simulation again! You know what I've told you."

"Always say please and thank you." Sikaru offered with a smile that indicated a joke. Riku didn't bit at the bait and he didn't laugh.

"You know, sometimes I think you don't listen to a single word I say. I am never gonna promote you to lieutenant or _anything_ if you don't shape up. I mean, I never had any of these kinds of problems with Juthias." Riku said, shaking his head as he dismissed his Keyblade from his hand. Sikaru just groaned and began to move out of the gray holo-room where all the trainees had practice.

"Not another story about the oh, so great Juthias! No stories about him, Gentai, or Sora, master, please?" Sikaru said in absolute exasperation. Riku looked at him sternly.

"Get back here and face me like the man you claim to be." Sikaru froze at those words. There was Riku, poking fun at him for saying he was a man at the age of nineteen. Riku didn't believe it…no one did. He turned around and faced his master with a look of defiance. He liked Riku, he really did…he just took things a little too hard to heart lately. "Now say it. What have I always told you?"

"Never let your pride get the better of you." Sikaru stated in a rather dull voice. "I know…but, come on, I'm lightyears ahead of the other five year trainees here!"

"First thing, no you're not. Second thing, there's no such thing as light years. We travel at warp speed in our Gummi Ships, not light speed." Riku said with a smile on his own face now. Sikaru groaned at his master's jokes. He didn't mind them really…he was just hungry and itching for action. "Third, let's go have lunch and we can talk about this when we're there."

"Finally! Something you've said that actually makes sense!" Sikaru cried and he punched the button to exit the simulation chamber. They entered into the white and blue decorated halls of Crown Fortress that had become Sikaru's home for the past five years. Riku exited behind him and Sikaru began to lead his master to the cafeteria. After five minutes of traversing the complex and labyrinthine hallways of Crown Fortress they were at last at the cafeteria. Sikaru ordered the "special of the day" meal which turned out to be a simple bonzabeast stew with Sea Salt Ice Cream for dessert. Naturally. Riku just got his usual of Destiny Island Burger so he had at least something to remind him of his old home. The two found a place to sit that was slightly far away from the main crowd. Riku allowed him to eat for a moment before he started speaking.

"Sikaru…look. You're my best apprentice, and you know that. It's just, I think you let that go to your head." Riku said, gesturing with his hands while his mouth was filled with burger. He knew Kairi would have chastised him for it…but Kairi was still at Radiant Garden with Sora. The thought made his turn away from Sikaru for a moment as he though about how he hadn't seen his godson in two years…since the war had _technically_ started.

"But, Master Riku," Sikaru stated with a simpering look on his face. "You've always said that our feelings give us strength and so we should use them." Riku looked at his apprentice's face and laughed.

"Not arrogance. The last time I saw somebody use arrogance…, well, let's just say it didn't turn out very well for them." Riku told him simply. In reality his thought had been: _he got possessed by Xehanort's Heartless and nearly lost all his friends_. But he was only going to pull that out if Sikaru was _really_ straying far.

"All right…" Sikaru caved in with depressed tone, no longer keeping up the funny guy facade. "I'm sorry for all my arrogance, Master Riku."

"Look, I don't mind the arrogance that much….but seriously, you'll let it consume your heart if you carry on." Riku said and he sat back a little, taking another bite of his burger. "Your arrogance is making you even lazier than Sora. I just hope that when you're promoted, whatever partner you're with doesn't have to do all the work that _I_ did."

"Now Master Riku, why would you _ever_ think that?!" Sikaru said with sarcasm and Riku laughed. Sikaru dipped his spoon into his stew and took a sip. Then an alarm blurted out over the intercom and the voice of one of the taskmasters spoke out.

"FLEET OF UNBIRTH SHIPS APPROACHING CROWN FORTRESS ORBIT IN BETA SECTOR. ALL GUMMI SHIP PILOTS AND PERSONNEL TO SPACE BAY!!!" the voice said over the intercom and many of the Keyblade wielders who were eating lunch looked at the intercom. But only ten select Keyblade wielders themselves, stood up to leave, Riku and Sikaru were two of them.

"I think it's safe to say this conversation is over for now. But you fail in training like that again and I won't you recommend you for field work on our next assignment." Riku said sternly and Sikaru just waved it off. Riku would have driven the point in further but he knew that Crown Fortress needed protecting. As they ran down the hallways in order to reach space bay, Riku had thoughts filling his head. For the most part, he just didn't want Sikaru turning out like he had, what was it now? Oh yeah, twenty years ago…He didn't want Sikaru consumed by his arrogance and possible jealousy at not having advanced to lieutenant. After a few minutes, the duo had at last reached space bay. About sixty pilots were preparing for flight. This was pretty insignificant comparative to the size of nearly six hundred that the Order had reached in the past eleven years.

Of course, they always knew it would build. Maleficent, the sole threat to the entire universe at the time (other than Gentai of course), had been vanquished, her power broken. So, more and more of those who wielded the Keyblade, those who had survived the old Round massacre and hid, and those who were new but didn't know what to do, slowly came out of hiding and joined the Order. At first it almost made Riku angry that there were so many that had never helped but he soon realized why…not all of them could fight instantly. That was why they had to train people. Riku quickly strode up to Franz Piretti, one of the space bay attendants.

"Sir!" Franz saluted and Riku returned the salute, even though he wasn't very fond of formalities himself. Franz had a fairly wiry build but he made up for what he lacked in strength with the dexterity in his hands, making him the Orders very own Chip and Dale. Riku quickly asked for a report on the situation. "We have a fleet of about two hundred Unbirth Ship gathering in Beta Quadrant. I don't know what they're doing there but…what can you do?" Riku nodded, accepting this information.

"All right, I'll lead a unit. Send out Falcon Unit and Paopu Unit out in front of me. The other two will fall behind my unit." Riku commanded and Franz nodded. Riku began to walk away but Franz quickly called him back.

"Should I send for more pilots?" Franz asked, slightly concerned that it was merely sixty up against two hundred.

"Oh…I think we can handle 'em. It's just a skirmish really." Riku said with a smile. He patted Franz on the back. That guy was always fidgety and nervous…I guess if you spent most of your time in the most open space in the fortress you would be a little on edge. Riku quickly climbed over to his Falcon model Gummi Ship appropriately named the _H.R.M.S. Dawn_. He quickly strapped into the cockpit and started firing the engines. He attached the earpiece to his ear and adjusted frequencies so that he could hear the other units and their communications. "Franz, do you read me?"

"Loud and clear, sir." Came Franz's slightly warbled voice over the earpiece due to the sound distortion, always due to his ship's proximity. "Ships are approaching quickly now and there are many and more for the taking."

"Good, it'll give us something to talk about later." Riku said with a smirk and he opened the channel to all the ships. "All units report in with status."

"Falcon Unit reporting in, sir." Came a male voice over the intercom.

"Paopu Unit reporting in, sir." Came a female voice as well. "Front units moving forward."

"All right, save some for the rest of us though." He waited for a moment as both Falcon and Paopu units moved off into space to engage the approaching ships. "This Dawn Unit, Light and Crown Units report in." Both of the units did, saying they were good to go. Riku fired his thrusters and the ship hovered above the ground. "All right, Light and Crown, cover us with rear fire. Let's go have some fun."

"Oh yeah!" Riku heard Sikaru's voice come from over the intercom. When it came to battles, Sikaru was far too excited some time. With a slight lean on the thrusters, the remaining three units blasted out of the portal. It wasn't long before they saw both Falcon Unit and Paopu Unit engaging the fleet ahead.

"All right, Light Unit, circle off around and go behind the fleet. Make sure they don't see you or this could be a _very_ short offensive." Riku said with a grimace and heard a sort of acknowledgement. He then saw the unit detach from them and fly off to their new position. "Ready your ammunition, guys…" He himself brought the Thundaga-G to full power and even put the Comet-G on standby in case he would need it. "Fire at will." He squeezed on the trigger and fired into the oncoming thicket of Unbirth ships. The smaller ones began to explode instantly upon impact. The bigger ones were, however, much more formidable.

One of them let off a cannon shot and Riku ordered his unit to quickly break off their attack and break ranks. For the most part, everyone was quick enough but one of the ships in his unit caught the edge of the blast and it ignited one of the engines. He started spiraling out of control. Riku knew they couldn't lose any real pilots so he ordered another ship to be a convoy and bring the spiraling one back to base. _Great,_ he thought, _now we're down to 58_. He quickly barrel rolled back into position. He ordered his men to load fire onto the larger cruiser coming at them and Dawn Unit and Crown Unit opened an intense amount of fire. After moments the ship was broken into pieces. He ordered the ships to pull out and asked for all the unit's statuses. Both Falcon and Paopu had lost one apiece but Light had lost none and the same was with Crown. Riku himself reported that Dawn had lost two, but not to any injury.

That was when the bigger cruisers began moving in, roughly two or three unless Riku's eyes were playing tricks on him. It looked like this was going to be harder than he thought. More ships detached from the larger ships and flew at them. Riku quickly ordered all of the units to separate and open fire at will upon the incoming ships. Riku swerved the ship around and his unit followed him. He saw a stream of laser barrages come in from behind him and he opened fire as well. He smirked. _Guess it's time to take a leaf out of Sora's book._ He quickly flicked the fire on full-auto rather than semi-automatic and held down the trigger.

"Fire lasers, guys." Riku ordered and he saw the nine Comet-Gs fire off behind him and into the crowd. Riku fired his off and the Unbirth ships in front of them were destroyed. "All right, let's take down the first of those cruisers. Light Unit, Falcon Unit do you read me? Concentrate your fire on the other two cruisers. We bring them down, they go down. Do you copy?"

"Falcon Unit copies, Dawn Leader. Engaging combat with cruiser 2." The leader of Falcon Unit said and his squad reformed and went to attack the second cruiser. However, Riku had yet to get a response from Light Unit.

"Light Unit, do you copy?" Riku said, a small bit of impatience as well as worry in his voice. At last he heard garbled static over the communications wave.

"Sir, our unit just got thrashed pretty bad by Cruiser 3. We're down to five men." Riku cursed silently in his head and shook it.

"All right, head back to the fortress, Crown Unit, take care of Cruiser 3." He received an acknowledgement.

"I'll help them out, and get them back to base, master." Sikaru said over the intercom and Riku scowled. Sikaru was being impetuous as always.

"Don't you dare! They tried doing their job, and we need to do ours." Riku commanded over. "I need you to take down that cruiser, they can get back to base on their own."

"Too late for that, they need help, and I'm going." Sikaru said and Riku knew it was hopeless to try and get him back.

"Sikaru! In the name of-" Riku groaned loudly in the intercom and soon after he addressed his unit. "Dawn Unit, engage combat; take it down. I have to go take care of a certain troublemaker." Riku wheeled his ship around. He knew that his unit could handle it; they had never failed him once. He made a beeline for the din of battle where he saw Sikaru engaging the ships that were antagonizing Light Unit. Sikaru himself wasn't faring too well either. "Sikaru, you give me more of a headache than Sora does…" he sighed out and opened fire onto the ships that were hemming in around Sikaru.

"Crap!" Sikaru's voice screamed over the intercom. "My wing just got hit, I'm losing mobility." Riku shook his head again and fired at the remaining cluster of Unbirth ships.

"Sikaru, _this_ is why you should listen to me." The Unbirth ships disappeared at his last words as his laser fire connected. "Light Unit you're free to proceed to base. Sikaru, rejoin Dawn Unit. That's an order."

"Yes master…" came Sikaru's dull voice over the intercom and Riku once more scowled. Then three more communications came through the intercom in quick succession. The three cruisers had at last fallen and the fleet, which had now been crippled to the size of ten was in full retreat.

"Paopu Unit, clean up the mess that's left and then all Units return to base." Riku said cheerily and there was some whooping over the intercom. Riku quickly piloted back down to Crown Fortress and landed in the space bay. Riku made sure that Paopu Unit had destroyed the fleeing ships before switching the intercom off and taking out his earpiece. He opened the cockpit of his ship and stepped out. He saw Sikaru getting out of his ship and he quickly strode over to him. "Sikaru, never disobey my orders again!"

"I was just trying to help!" Sikaru said with a scowl and Riku glared at him.

"Making yourself an open target for people who can do their job without your help is not defined as 'help'. If you want to be a martyr, go talk to Sora. He'd be able to at least teach you the difference between selflessness and sheer stupidity." Riku raged at his apprentice and Sikaru just stared back at him with a glare. "Disobey my orders again and I swear, I will NOT recommend you to be promoted and furthermore-" Riku cut himself off there. He was letting his anger grow…something he didn't want. He sighed and regained his composure.

"Yes, Master Riku?" Sikaru said with an expectant look. Riku waved his hand through the air.

"Never mind…just…go." Sikaru nodded his head at his master and left with the other pilots leaving the room. Riku sighed again as Franz came hurrying up to him.

"Most splendid, sir." Franz said with a smile. "I'd say you just about rival Master Sora as a pilot." Riku chuckled at that thought.

"Somehow I doubt that. You'd think I could be better than him at something but no…he just had to show me up by landing a near exploding ship under heavy enemy fire on another moving ship." Riku said, thinking to himself about the time twelve years ago when they had landed on the _R.L.S. Legacy_. Well, not that it existed anymore after the crash-land into Disney Castle.

"Well, your piloting skills are still remarkable." Franz said with a smile and a nod of his head. Riku smiled back and gave another chuckle.

"All right, enough with the low flattery Franz. I'm tired so…" Riku said but Franz raised his eyebrows and Riku instantly knew there was more that the technician had to say.

"The generals are calling for a meeting sir. I just got the report as you came back in." Franz said and Riku hit himself on the head.

"Never give me a moment's peace do they. No doubt they want to hear how the battle went." Riku sighed again. "I lead a battle and they don't even give me five minutes to rest before calling _another_ meeting."

"Well, maybe you should stop going in to so many space battles. I'm sure there are many more pilots out there who would love to helm Dawn Unit." Franz said with a chuckle because he knew it would not only jab at Riku but also jab at his pride. Riku laughed sourly.

"And maybe you should clean up space bay, Franz." Riku said with a laugh and Franz quickly saluted at him. Riku lazily returned the salute and began to walk away. "Nine casualties, right Franz?" Franz sounded out an agreement and Riku walked through the door and into the hallway. He knew he had to get to the main hallway so he approached the wall, knowing it would open and pushed through it, emerging onto a hidden staircase. He started going down the staircase. There were passages like these all over Crown Fortress that would lead them to the main hallway. It would be highly useful in an invasion, but Riku promised himself that it would never come to that. He made sure no one was in the hallway beyond, despite being the main hallway, and he exited. He then turned and walked to the very end of the hallway to the large double doors that lead into the General's Round. He strode through the doors.

"What could be so important that I can't even finish my lunch you guys?" Riku said sarcastically as he entered the hall. His throne lowered before him and he sat down in it. It them quickly rose to bring him above the other generals, but only by a little. None of the other nine generals said a word. "Generals of the Order of the Crown, present your Keyblades and form the Crown for your right to be heard." There was a large flash of light as all then generals, including Riku himself, summoned their Keyblades. He looked around quickly at all of the generals to make sure that they Keyblades were in accordance.

To his left was Cristophe, replacement to Matthias who had died in the war. He wielded a Keyblade known as the Hellbiter. Not a name Riku fancied but for the flaming depiction of the Keyblade it certainly worked. Cothius had been against his appointment, but Riku knew that the twenty seven year old man was loyal to him and all of his goals. Then there was Lucas, who was, perhaps, not as loyal but was strong willed and had led several _very_ successful campaigns against the Unbirths, wielding his Keyblade of Greased Lightning…which was appropriate enough as he moved super fast nowadays and his Keyblade depicted that of lightning. Then there was Melissa "Ruby" Ardintous who was often called by the family name of Ruby, though Riku refused to call her that. She had joined the generals about a year before but Riku had known she was skilled, especially since she used the powerful Keyblade of Rising Sun; the Keyblade having the Keychain of a sun with a seeming African sun as its hand guard but with a hole in the middle for its handle, it was red, white, and orange and the blade itself was a half sun with the solidified, flaming heat waves as it's teeth.

Next, Riku moved onto Miriam who, after fighting the war, had slowly (but most certainly) given her allegiance and loyalty to Riku. She herself wielded a Keyblade shaped like the samurai blades of old, and sure enough, it was named Muramasa. Cothius sat directly across from Riku, almost in a counter position, which was interesting enough since he was always opposing Riku in the first place. Even his Keyblades name was a practical opposition: Eclipsing Dusk. Seated next to him was Elizabeth who wielded the blue and icy blade of Diamond Dust, one of the few Keyblades that Sora had picked up on his travels. It certainly reflected her demeanor as well for she was icy and treated the entire group of generals with indifference. She had fought in the war, but was, by no means, fond of it.

Seated next to her in the circle was Donato who wielded the interesting Earthen Hammer Keyblade whose blade was shaped like a hammer with only a sharp edge and a hand guard to tell the two apart. Donato had unconditional loyalty. Next was Marcus, another loyalist to the Order who wielded Shining Day which was a fit comparison against Melissa who he was romantically involved with. The two were roughly the same age of twenty eight which made Marcus the official youngest member to first join the generals when he was only sixteen. And at Riku's right hand, and biggest advocate, wielding the destructive power of the Caladbolg, was Antonio who gave all allegiance to Riku and his aims.

The other nine generals lifted their Keyblades and beams of light shot from them, forming the borders of the crown that Riku had seen Sora wear for so many years. Riku then raised his own Way to Dawn and the crown lit up. The meeting of the generals was now in session.

"I'm sure you all want to know how the battle went." Riku said calmly. "It went well on the whole, Light Unit was crippled however and we lost a few others…but we destroyed the entire fleet. That please you." Some of the generals shifted uneasily in their seats.

"He's becoming more aggressive, this is a bold move for him." Miriam stated, looking in Riku's direction. "How can we ever hope to stop a full out assault by the Unbirths if he's still on the loose?"

"I'm forced to agree with Miriam here," Christophe said with a look to his right and up. "I worry what will become of the Order if we do not manage to find him."

"If Riku had permitted me to go and look for my brother while we had the chance then this wouldn't be an issue." Melissa stated heatedly and Riku raised his eyebrows. "Riku, let me deal with him. If I can't bring him back then I can at least defeat him." Riku sighed.

"Look, I know you want to take care of your brother and all but I think he's become more dangerous than we realize. More dangerous than Maleficent ever was, and she's been missing for about twelve years now. Look, he's been gone for, what was it, eleven-"

"Ten." Donato stated. Riku rolled his eyes. Donato rarely spoke up in meetings save for corrections.

"Forgive me, ten years now. He's gained the control of the Unbirths and the Order is being stretched as it is. Do you really think that's a good idea?" Riku snapped out and Melissa glared at him for a moment. She knew Riku was right, but never wanted to admit it.

"Don't you see…this is causing squabbles amongst us?" Cothius said and Riku rolled his eyes again. This is where it always started: Cothius' dissent against the war. "Can we afford any more than we've already lost? We are spoiling our departed leader Edge by continuing in this pointless fight."

"Shut up Cothius. We would have never been in this fight if people like you and Onyx had never contested his rule and allowed him to go out in to the worlds." Marcus said loudly. Those two were always at constant daggers with each other. "If we had been allowed to fight, then the Unbirths would have never come into existence and I don't think we'd have such a difficult war on our hands."

"If you're calling for a vote of no confidence in Riku's leadership, don't." Christophe warned. "He's taken this Order to where it should have been twelve years ago: out in the worlds fighting."

"Nevertheless, we must realize on thing." Lucas said, leaning forward in his seat. "We are losing momentum. We cannot last this storm much longer. We're spread out amongst the worlds of the galaxy enough as it is. Any more and we will be stretched too thin. Not to mention that we are losing members of the Order in the attack here."

"He's right. We lost Matthias just a year ago, that's why Christophe is here…and that was because Matthias failed against my brother. I was only appointed to the generals because the general you picked also died." Melissa said heatedly and Riku was glaring daggers at her.

"Look, I understand how you're all feeling, but what do you want me to do?" Riku said, throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation. At last, Elizabeth had leaned forward, her icy demeanor shining like it always did.

"This war represents a failure of union." Elizabeth began and all of Riku and those who supported him, leaned back into their chairs to listen. "We are losing lives and losing Keyblade Masters. We cannot deny life is much easier without Maleficent breathing down our neck as she had been twelve years ago."

"A twelve years when you did nothing…" Riku sighed out under his breath but it seemed that Elizabeth had not heard him.

"But the Unbirths will consume us. We need to stop and negotiate; only there can peace lie. In other words, we need a Keyblade wielder who he will listen to. One who holds enough sway over the worlds to give a proper negotiation."

"You mean Sora? Absolutely not!" Riku said, defending his friend's right to not be entangled with the Order like he himself was.

"Why should he not fight in the war? He is a Keyblade Master!" Cothius said, a smug smile on his face. "He sits at home in Radiant Garden raising little brats and does nothing required in his title!"

"No one calls my godson a little brat!" Riku yelled and silence pervaded the room. Cothius merely looked at Riku with a smile. Riku got himself under control. "Sora has enough on his plate. He had to restore Radiant Garden from what it was twelve years ago after the explosion, an explosion that most of you did nothing to prevent! He undergoes monthly skirmishes with the Unbirths to protect his home and you say he does nothing? You shame the Order and Edge's memory. This war is being fought in an attempt to restore order…something that Edge gave his life for. If you want to dispute him and his wishes then leave the Order now!" There was more silence and nobody answered. "I thought so…"

"There is an issue far more troublesome." Antonio said, speaking up for the first time at the meeting. "If he gains control of Kingdom Hearts that may cause a problem."

"Let him try." Riku said; this time it was his turn to be smug. "I know something of Kingdom Hearts. Even were he to gain light…and the power of Kingdom Hearts, we'll stop him. I will not allow this Order to fall while I am here to defend it." Riku stood up and the crown before them all faded away. "If that is all, generals dismissed." The generals saluted and their chairs began to lower until they were all at ground level. Riku then gave room for the other nine generals to file out. Cothius shot him a look of disdain, which Riku returned before he left. When all nine generals were out, Marcus and Melissa leaving last, hand in hand, Riku left. He had to speak to Melissa quickly but gave her some space. However, he quickly caught up to her in the hall. "Melissa!"  
Melissa turned to look at Riku and he beckoned her over. Marcus looked at him confusedly before nodding. Riku thought he heard a quick whisper of "I'll see you later" and a peck on the cheek before Marcus went off and Melissa ran up to Riku.

"So, what's up Riku?" Melissa asked, rolling up and down on the balls of her feet.

"Walk with me." Riku said and she followed him. "I've noticed that you and Marcus are closer…much closer."

"Yeah…" Melissa said dreamily. But she had enough intelligence in this state to realize Riku was not here to talk about what she thought of Marcus. "But what does that matter?" Riku stopped in the middle of an off-shooting and abandoned hallway.

"Look, I don't want to see you get hurt." Riku said. "You've faced enough pain dealing with your brother, no matter how much older he is than you. I care about you as a friend Melissa. You've supported my work this whole time. And…it's just…the last time I saw someone get that close to someone that early, he went a little nuts."

"What? Gentai? Yeah, but I haven't lost anything." Melissa said, shrugging her shoulders, her red hair shimmering a bit. It was so different from her brothers which had been black like obsidian. "Besides, my brother is the nut in the family that went crazy."

"I just think we've lost enough." Riku said solemnly. Melissa looked at him concernedly for a moment.

"I'm a big girl…I can take care of myself." Melissa said gently. "And besides, since when do you care? I thought you didn't know what love was like…or is it that you may be developing feelings for me?" Riku laughed sourly and denied any such aspects. Melissa just smiled him before bidding him a farewell and striding away. Riku shook his head and sighed, deciding to return to his quarters.

He wound his way through the corridors, making it a keen point to avoid people. He didn't care for anyone's company. When he at last reached his quarters however it was to find Antonio waiting outside. Riku nodded his head; he should have figured this would happen. He smiled and quickly strode up to him.

"So, what's the topic today?" Riku asked. "And can we make it short…I'm really tired."

"Cothius. I don't trust him." Antonio said simply.

"Well neither do I, but we don't have a choice. I can't boot him out. You know the rules." Riku said stoically. Antonio shrugged. "What's really bothering you, anyway?"

"I'm worried about the Order." he said quietly. "I feel like it's falling apart. Some have already gone mercenary…how many more must follow the path of darkness before they see the light?" Riku winced at Antonio's words. He put a hand on Antonio's shoulder.

"Look, what I said in there, I meant it, every word of it. So don't worry." Riku said and Antonio brushed the hand off. Riku scowled. yeah, he would keep the Order alive, but he was beginning to worry that this was no longer a war worth fighting.

"I'm not worried about your defense…but everyone else's. Keep a watchful eye Riku, we're at war." With that ominous and foreboding message, Antonio strode off. Riku shook his head and entered into his simple room. A few moments later he had lied down in his bed and had drifted to sleep.

_"Gentai…" Sora breathed out. "Come back with us. I know your soul is twisted but there's still time to turn from this path. You can still fight with us."_

_"No I CAN'T!!!" Gentai yelled loudly and Sora recoiled a bit. "How much blood do I have on my hands?! How many people have I killed?!" Gentai's body was shaking and Sora finally understood why Gentai had seemed so conflicted before. "Don't you get it, Sora?! We all thought we could be decent men, in an indecent time! A time where there is darkness to plague our lives! A time where we still have to fear the darkness!"_

_"But if you fight with us, then we don't have to fear the darkness!" Sora yelled, trying to reason with this boy. "Come back, Gentai!"_

_"How can you ask that of me?! After everything, I was the only one who had everything taken from me! I was the one who caused a reign of chaos the likes of which these worlds have never seen and you ask me to come back." A tear slid down Gentai's cheek and his body started shaking harder. He began to sob. "No…I wanted to be a hero, I really did, but now I know that for me, there's no such thing."_

_"There is if you strive for it." Riku answered, his voice having gained the strength to speak to him. Gentai shook his head._

_"No…not for me…not anymore. All that's left for me and my legacy is to make sure I can end the darkness…" There was silence that pervaded the halls after he spoke those words. "WITH ME!!!" Suddenly, before anyone in the room could stop him he shifted his Keyblade around and stabbed himself in the heart, like Sora had done with the dark Keyblade eight years ago._

_"NO!!!" The other three that were standing in the room yelled as Gentai's heart began to be enveloped in shimmering light._ _When the light receded, Gentai was gone, vanished from the worlds and all the wielders there knew that the Unbirths, too, had fled from the castle, sensing their master's defeat._

Riku screamed loudly as he sat up quickly. His upper torso was drenched in sweat as was his forehead. He put his face into his hands. That was the second time he had seen Gentai's death in his dreams. He had never had them until the night before. And yet here it was, happening again. Riku couldn't place what it meant. He got up off of his bed and took his shirt off. He grabbed a towel from the bathroom in his room and wiped down his torso before grabbing another clean shirt and putting it on. He poured himself a glass of water from the pitcher on his bedside table before walking over to balcony and opening the screen that separated him from it.

He stepped out onto the balcony and felt the cool air on his face. Oh, how much he had missed the island winds. How much he had wished for them to grace him and his face. Oh, how he had wished to see Sora, and Kairi again, to be with his godson. But fate had been the cruelest to him of them all and Riku's thoughts kept turning back towards his dream. A million thoughts filled his head, but there was one above all:

What did it mean?

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Author's Note: There it is, the very long complete first chapter of the final installment. I put a lot of work into this and I hope you like it, that's why I posted much earlier than intended because it was too good to NOT share with the world. I've noticed I always start the story with a character other than Sora but…meh. This finale will DEFINITELY come slower, if not because of the forthcoming Spring Break with no access to internet then because I want it to be awesome. After all, I feel an appropriate subtitle for this story is "I'm Shattering the Glass from Beneath You". Now, I hope you were able to figure out who the bad guy is. Hint: We've met him twice in the series before. On two more notes: 1) I know people think that fan fiction shouldn't be all that deep but this is a very political and symbolic story. Everything I do has a purpose in my story and so does this. In fact, if you can find all the symbols in this first chapter then congrats cause it'll cue you in on the future and make an interesting commentary from me, the author. If you want to know what the symbols are that you missed, just let me know and I'll tell you…some of them. 2) In the future we will have four teams that go to four different worlds, one of these worlds has already been decided and it is Kim Possible. What I need from you is three worlds (from well known Disney movies ONLY) that I could use for those three characters. It cannot include: Prydain, Agrabah, Pride Lands, Port Royal, Olympus Coliseum, Land of Dragons, Any Princess of Heart World, Atlantis, Monstropolis, Neverland, Halloween Town, or the Hawaiian Islands. I know, it's a lot of worlds but still. Thanks for that, I'm taking my poll down next chapter so vote, let me know what you think, guess the symbols, spread the word, review (on all parts of the chapter, not just "it's good"), and Dare to Be Silly. (And yes, I know this was a ridiculously long Author's Note.)

P.S. I updated my Profile Page with all new OC descriptions as well as a possible new idea for a story.


	3. Chapter 2: Watching the Horizon

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts...sadly...**

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Chapter 2

Watching the Horizon

King Sora the Great of Radiant Garden was known as one of the greatest kings that Radiant Garden had ever known, next to his predecessor Ansem the Wise. Every king in Radiant Garden had their own title and Sora's was that he was great. And it certainly seemed that he was great. But as of lately he was being stretched to his end. The monthly Unbirth attacks and the disturbing settlements that one might be going after Kingdom Hearts again made him worry for Kairi, and therefore his twins' safeties. And that was almost a cause to give him yet another headache.

Certainly, Gentai and Demora had been blessings as children to Sora but lately they were making his nerves raw with their consistent arguing between each other. The two couldn't stand each other and yet they always knew where one another were because of their connection as twins. Gentai, being the younger one, always felt he had no attention from his parents (save for Sora) and Demora felt she was entitled to more attention. This made Sora wonder why they couldn't be more like their namesakes…other than the love part. This was not to mention that ruling in Radiant Garden had become harder in the last three years what with Order's supposed war against the Unbirths, Floyd's death by old age which made him have to appoint someone else to his council. That took time but he ultimately ended up nominating Cid because of lack of anyone he really trusted. That made his council practically the whole of the Restoration Committee. He didn't mind of course but his patience was wearing thin and he was tired.

Thus it was that on one particular evening two days after the meeting of the generals that Sora knew nothing about, that he was standing on the balcony outside Radiant Garden's council chambers in the castle, overlooking the horizon. He always found it interesting to watch the sun dip below the horizon…even if, in some aspect, it frightened him. He would have rather gone to Rising Falls and have all manners of the sounds of waves bring him back to his simple life on Destiny Islands…but the falls had since dried up and left nothing there. As Sora would stand on that balcony he'd feel the wind whip across him and he'd feel at home again. And yet, the wind would twinge his cheek in pain. He rubbed it and grimaced at the scar that was there; the remainder of the battle with the Huntsman twelve years ago. He now fully understood what Riku had meant when he said that time cannot mend all wounds.

This particular day was a day that his council had been extremely short as most decisions were progressing at their own pace, such as the healthy and welfare program, the economy was doing fine, and ultimately Sora was running Radiant Garden the way a king should be running the place. He had brought it out of the most miserable depths of being known as Hollow Bastion into one of the biggest powerhouse worlds in the universe. Where pretty much every world containing a princess of heart, including Radiant Garden, answered to King Mickey as their sovereign, so much more was Sora in control of than the other six. He himself had been bequeathed as leader and sovereign of practically every other world in the galaxy that wasn't Disney Castle or the other Princess of Heart worlds. Yes, Sora most certainly was, Sora the Great.

But his mind, on this particular day was more focused on the meeting of the Parliament of Worlds that was to take place tomorrow where one representative from each of the worlds would meet here in Radiant Garden once a month to see what needed to be done in relation to other worlds and whatever problems that may have arisen that needing fixing by someone else (and which Riku had not been able to intervene yet). The idea had originally been Sora's and was fully supported by King Mickey in order to foster peace and cooperation among the worlds. But Sora had never really been to all the worlds and some never even sent delegates. Most of the delegates however, were people that he and Kairi knew from their travels and so they didn't mind coming once a month to Radiant Garden. And for some, they would stay a few days afterwards to relax with their old friends, mainly Hayner and Olette whose daughter Jeanette was good friends with Demora having been born only a few days apart and who (Sora knew inside but never said out loud) Gentai was starting to crush on. He would chuckle to himself at the thought of that; they were only eleven but were already starting to grow up…it was certainly a strange thing.

There was movement behind Sora as someone joined him on the balcony but he didn't move or acknowledge their presence since he knew that there was only one person it could be directly after a council meeting. It was the only person he could trust to put at the head of his troops and the only one who could really help with governing because he had done so for roughly seven or eight years before Sora had become king. The person who had joined him on the balcony was Squall Leonheart, or more accurately, Leon, who had been the one heading the Restoration Committee for years and was now Sora's chief advisor as well as the head of the Radiant Garden Royal Guard. Sora turned to face Leon who leaned on the balcony beside him and looked out to the sunset in the distance.

"Something's bothering you, Sora…" Leon said, never taking his eyes off the horizon. Sora shuffled around a little nervously. "What is it?"

"I don't know…it's just…do you think Riku's all right?" Sora asked. He had been worrying about his best friend not only in terms of his own well-being but also as to how well he was performing his job within the Order and how well they were defending the worlds.

"This is Riku we're talking about, you know that?" Leon said sarcastically and Sora just chuckled a bit.

"I know that…sometimes I just wonder how he's doing out there. It can't be easy to run a whole entire Order across a whole entire galaxy." Sora said, dramatically throwing his arms into the air for emphasis. Leon chuckled a bit and Sora looked over the long-brown haired Gunblade wielder. Sora remembered when he had first met Leon. He had been crabby, didn't think much of Sora at all, and never opened up to anyone except for possibly Aerith (of course that might've been because Yuffie should never be told any secrets). When Sora had fled from Hollow Bastion and returned to Traverse Town, Leon began to believe in Sora to the point that when they arrived here a year after their first big adventure, Leon was more than ready to give Sora, Donald, and Goofy the reins to take care of the Heartless. Ironically, the goofy-smiling, big shoed, spiky haired teen proved to also soften Leon's heart. He became more caring, more capable of showing emotion than he had before…and he had also become a leader. It was ironic that Leon stood by Sora's side today as his best and most trusted advisor.

"Well, I can't imagine that being a king of Radiant Garden is quite so easy, either." Sora nodded his head in acceptance of that fact. "In either case, I'm sure he's doing just fine. We've heard of all the good he's done the Order, right? Though I'd imagine you have better people on your side."

"Yeah…heh, I have people I've known but he's with a bunch of people who…well…" Sora kind of tapered off that sentence. Then something seemed to hit him, regarding Leon's presence. "I'm guessing you wanted to talk to me about something."

"I have two pieces of news for you." Leon said, at last turning and facing Sora. "For one thing, Her Majesty-"

"Kairi." Sora said with a glint in his eyes. Leon never had a problem with calling Sora by his name but he seemed to have an issue with calling Kairi by her first name. Leon grimaced slightly at this.

"My apologies, Kairi is calling for you. Gentai and Demora are at it again." Sora sighed and rubbed his temples. "On another note, the couriers from Disney Castle have arrived." Sora's face lit up greatly. He quickly thanked Leon and set off at a run through the castle. He entered into the hallway directly outside his council chamber and he kicked a piece of the wall. It spun around, revealing a slide down to the lower floor. Sora jumped inside of it and slid down, screaming with joy as he slid down the slide. These were just the simple things that gave him so much joy…not to mention he had snuck Genie into the world to have him add some special touches to the castle when it was nearing completion. Soon, Sora landed feet first on the ground. He pushed out of the wall and headed across the floor to the gate.

As he approached the gate, he saw the couriers of Disney Castle waiting in the entrance hall. His face lit up brightly when he saw two of his best friends there, waiting for him.

"Donald! Goofy!" Sora yelled as he ran up to them. They turned to face Sora and cried out his name with joy. The three leapt into a great group hug and danced around. Even Jiminy was there, atop Donald's shoulder to join in the great reunion. Sora drew back from Donald and Goofy to look them over. He had only got the message a few hours ago that Donald and Goofy would be arriving and he was overjoyed to see they were here.

"Gawrsh Sora…you look fancy." Goofy said, examining Sora's clothes. It was true that Sora no longer wore his old mission clothes anymore, though they were in a special closet for whenever he might need them. While he did occasionally see his two friends it was not very often as of late, especially with the Order's war on the horizon. "Donald, don't ya remember the days where we all dressed in only one clothes for days on end?"

"Yeah…but that was before Sora became a king!" Donald announced happily. Sora smiled and chuckled.

"Aw, come on you guys…" Sora said sheepishly before he decided to ask them something. "So, what did the king send you here for…he wouldn't say anything over the communications?" Goofy went into his pocket and pulled out a scroll with the king's seal on it. He handed it to Sora and Sora decided that he would view it later. "Well, come on you guys, you can stay for the parliament meeting tomorrow. And I'm sure Gentai and Demora want to see you two again." Donald and Goofy cheered and Sora began to lead them through the halls, up the lifts to take them to the upper levels.

"So how's life as a king lately Sora?" Donald asked and Sora just shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know…a lot of work I guess…" Sora told his friends. But he was more interested in what was going on with his friends. "But what about you guys? What's going on at Disney Castle?"

"Well, the king's been really tired lately…" Goofy said with concern in his voice but then Donald nudged him.

"Aren't you gonna tell him the big news?" Donald said and Goofy gave a sudden "a-hyuck". Sora looked at the duo confusedly for a moment.

"What big news?" Sora had never heard of any big news going on at the castle.

"Well, I'm considerin' retiring. I've been doing the captain thing a long time." Goofy said with just a touch of sadness. "But I think ol' Maxie's ready to head the troops in the castle so I'm willin' to give him a chance."

"That's great!" Sora cried jubilantly when the lift shuddered to a stop at their destination. Sora ushered the two of them out and into the hall which eventually led down to a room where loud voices could be heard issuing forth.

"No fair! Demora, give it back! We each get one ice cream apiece, you know that!" said a young boy's voice which was Sora's eleven year old son Gentai.

"I'm older Gentai, you know that. That means that I'm entitled to more than you are." came the very bossy tone of the eleven year old Demora. There was suddenly a crash that emerged from the room and it seemed that one of the two twins had run into something.

"By TEN minutes!! What does that matter? Next you're gonna say that you should graduate from Radiant Garden High, when we get there, first because your older."

"And smarter, doofus." Demora said in an antagonizing tone. Sora rolled his eyes at his children's antics. He soon led both Donald and Goofy into the room. He saw Kairi in the room, rubbing her eyes from the stress of the two kids.

"Demora, no calling your brother doofus. Gentai, no trying to hit your sister." Sora said as he entered and both of the kids turned to face their father. Demora quickly hid the ice cream behind her back as if to convince her dad that she wasn't up to anything. Sora extended his hand and held it there until Demora handed him the ice cream with a frown. Sora handed it to Gentai and he smiled at his father.

Gentai took after his father in more ways than one. For one thing, his hair was slightly spiky and was growing bigger. However, there was a slight reddish tint to his hair. Meanwhile, Demora had brown hair but in terms of her figure, she was taking after her mother, especially in her mannerisms. Both of them, however, had the natural blue color of their eyes that their parent's shared. They also shared the feisty nature that both their parents had. Kairi had smiled when she saw Sora enter the room and he walked over to her, giving her a hug and a quick kiss on the lips.

"Gross, guys. Come on, you don't need to kiss in front of us kids." Demora said. She was the sarcastic one of the bunch and never lost the opportunity to torment her twin or speak back against her parent…which more than once landed her in a heap of trouble.

"Let 'em do what they want or you could get grounded again…" Gentai said with a snicker behind his voice. Demora glared at her brother. "Still…I guess it wouldn't be nearly as bad as that time you played around with Tron's programming and nearly caused the claymores to destroy the marketplace."

"How was I supposed to know that putting in the word 'palooka' would cause a self-destruct program for the marketplace?" Demora said innocently and Gentai shook his head while snorting into his ice cream.

"Who's a big palooka?!" Donald cried out as both he and Goofy entered into the room. Gentai and Demora looked at the two of them and burst out in happiness.

"Uncle Donald! Uncle Goofy!" the two of them cried and they ran over to their favorite members from Disney Castle and gave them a great big hug. Kairi giggled as she watched it.

"Leon said you needed help so I thought Donald and Goofy would keep the two of them occupied enough to stop them fighting." Sora said with a shrug as he hugged his wife. She smiled as she nestled into his neck for a moment before they drew apart.

"That's what you thought?" Kairi said with a look of disbelief on her face. "Name one time they've ever really made a situation better." Sora thought about it for a moment. Then he shook his head.

"True…they usually make situations worse...but they're bound to improve sometime in the future." Sora said. He smiled at Kairi before he dipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out the scroll. Kairi eyes it with interest as Sora unfurled it and decided to read it. It read thus:

_Hey Sora and Kairi,_

_How're you fellas doin'? We got lots goin' on at Disney Castle. But I needed to warn you guys about somethin'. We were just attacked recently by the Unbirths. Riku tells me they're under somebody else's control…but still, I'm worried. My guess is that they might be comin' for you guys at Radiant Garden so I suggest you get ready for an attack some time soon. I didn't want to tell ya over an open communication cause who knows who's listenin'. Hope you're doin' okay._

And following that was the king's seal. Sora rolled the scroll back up and took a look to Kairi who had a worried look on her face.

"You think you can make sure things don't get out of hand here? I'm gonna go get Leon." Kairi nodded at her husband before giving him a peck on the cheek as he left the room. He knew where Leon often was in the later hours of the evening and so he quickly headed for the library. Leon spent his time, surprisingly so, poring over documents there to further his knowledge and so Sora easily found him amidst the tomes. He quickly addressed the situation to Leon.

"So you want me to get the troops ready and prepared for any kind of unexpected strike?" Leon asked Sora and Sora nodded his head. Leon bowed to his liege and immediately set off to alert the other soldiers. Sora walked up to the high windows of the library and saw a Gummi Ship coming in and setting itself down and Sora knew that Hayner and Olette had arrived. He smiled and immediately set off for the landing pad. Thankfully, after ten and a half years Sora knew his way around the castle so well that he could easily get to the landing pad in less than five hours.

"Sora!" Hayner said when he saw the king of Radiant Garden. He ran up to him and gave him a near bone-cracking hug. Olette waved hello to Sora and eleven year old Jeanette came from behind them and hugged her "Uncle" Sora. Though Pence had been named as godfather to Jeanette, Sora was kind of an honorary one. Jeanette's hair took after her mother's being curly and brown. But her eyes were similar to her father's and, like Demora, she was tomboy in her own sense. In the same way that Sora thought Gentai had a crush on her, so Hayner and Olette both thought that Jeanette had a secret crush on Gentai that she wouldn't tell Demora.

"Great to see you guys!" Sora said happily. "I know Kairi and the kids'll be happy to see you too…especially Gentai." Sora said this with a smile on his face and both Hayner and Olette smiled while Jeanette blushed in embarrassment. Sora then beckoned them forward and they followed. He led them through practically the same hallways that he had taken Donald and Goofy through until reaching the room where Donald and Goofy were playing a tag-team checkers with Gentai and Demora while Kairi was just looking at all of them fondly. "Hey guys! Look who's here!"

"Jeanette!" Demora yelled loudly and she sprung up and headed toward her best friend. The two shared their special handshake and Sora saw out of the corner of his eyes that Gentai had been planning to head off in Jeanette's direction but something held him back. All the parents in the room chuckled though their kids didn't hear them. They were only eleven and they were already nursing crushes. Gentai ducked under the table for a moment and came out with a small flower. He took a deep breath and straightened his clothes out. He then strode up to the chatting pair of Demora and Jeanette. Demora was the first to notice the flower. "Okay…Gentai, what is with the flower?"

"Um…uh…" Gentai stammered out, trying to find the right words to say in the situation.

"Try English please?" Demora said impatiently before Gentai finally handed the flower to Jeanette. Blushing fiercely, the eleven year old daughter of Hayner and Olette took it. Demora rolled her eyes at the exchange. "Oh, great. Come on Jeanette, let's leave my brother and his stupid antics behind, why don't we?" Demora then began leading Jeanette out of the room to the game hall where they spent their time together. However, as soon as Demora was out the door Jeanette raced back in and kissed Gentai on the cheek before scrambling out again. They also noticed her putting the flower behind her hair as she went. Gentai just held his cheek.

"Wash it when you take a shower tonight…there'll probably be a lot more where that came from." Sora said with a chuckle. Gentai glared at his father and then left the room while the parents and the Disney Castle members took seats.

"That'll keep Gentai happy for hours." Kairi said with a roll of her eyes.

"Did you plan that with him?" Olette asked Kairi and Kairi smiled coyly.

"I may have…" Kairi said devilishly and everybody laughed. Sora then turned to the couple.

"How's Twilight Town doing? And for that matter, how's Pence?" Sora asked, wanting to hear everything about the head of the Sea Salt Ice Cream Corp. in Twilight Town who had managed to use his funds (along with the magical prowess of Genie) to rebuild Twilight Town, even getting the new station being built named after him: Pence Station.

"It's doing great…no complaints really. Struggle is finally starting up again this year so that should be nice." Hayner said, not able to conceal his happiness of going to the Struggle games. "Of course, Seifer's rubbing it in my face that unlike him and Fuu, I don't have a kid to take part in the tournament."

"Hayner!" Olette chided by slapping him on the arm. "Jeanette is fine just how she is!"

"I'm not complaining!" Hayner protested. "Personally, it just shows how much Seifer can't move on that he _needs_ a legacy to carry on his title. Especially after I carried champion three years in a row after I met you Sora!"

"Well, I'm sure that means more than the worlds to you." Sora said sarcastically and Hayner denied any such claims. Sora then thought of his children and sighed. "You don't how like those two are to their namesakes…" He gave a laugh and Kairi patted his shoulder affectionately. Even after all that Gentai had done, twelve years later they still couldn't help but miss him. And Demora, well, she had been a tragic casualty that changed the worlds. But Sora brushed it aside and returned back to amiable conversation. The six people in the room spoke until it came time to make sure their children were put to bed. Soon after that, all of them retired to their own bedrooms, washing up and changing into their pajamas.

Kairi wished Sora good night and fell asleep soon after. Sora, himself, fell asleep soon after that. He needed a peaceful sleep before the parliament meeting the next day. The peaceful sleep didn't last very long. Around two in the morning, Sora was tossing and turning in bed, muttering some inane babble that nobody heard. Soon after the thrashing started he sat up in the bed, sweat beading down his chest and forehead. He got up and pulled an undershirt from the bed post. He put it on and walked out onto the garden balcony attached to their room.

He knew what he had seen was just a dream…it had to be just a dream. True, he had heard of Keyblade master, and Keyblade wielders in general, having prophetic dreams. Riku and Kairi were a case in point…but it didn't mean anything. After all, after his return to Destiny islands after defeating Xemnas, Sora had had a dream about being mauled by a tiger in the high school…and that never happened. Sora quickly tried to assure himself that it was just a dream.

_But it could be true, dude._

_Roxas, why are you surfacing again…after nineteen years I would've thought I could block you out._

_Your defenses are down…_

_Go back to sleep._

And the Nobody that still rested inside Sora went to sleep once more at his somebody's behest. Roxas rarely came out…only when Sora had been especially stressed out. He figured that this could just be yet another one of those moments. He leaned against the fountain in the garden and rubbed his temples. There were footsteps entering into the garden and Sora figured that he must have woken her up with his thrashing.

"Sora…are you okay?" Kairi asked, placing a hand on her husband's shoulders. He looked at her for a moment and nodded.

"Yeah…it was just a dream." Sora said. He turned away from her and she looked at him confusedly for a moment. His body shivered a little and she knew that he was upset.

"What kind of dream? Why don't you tell me?" Kairi said, turning him around to find tears on his face. He shook his head.

"I don't want to talk about it…" Sora said, absentmindedly fiddling with the finger that normally contained his wedding band. Kairi looked at him with concern in her eyes. "I…can't…"

"Okay, Sora, that's fine." Sora nodded and the two embraced each other. It was just a dream…it had no outcome on reality. None. All that mattered was that he was here, with Kairi in his arms.

"Do you think it would have been different…if Edge had never died? You know, with Riku and all?" Sora asked and for a minute, Kairi didn't respond.

"I think things could have been different if even one of the people we had lost never died…Hikaru, Demora, Gentai." Kairi answered softly and Sora hugged her tighter. That moment lasted about a minute when there was a knock on the door to their room that echoed into the gardens. Sora and Kairi looked at each other and they entered back into their room. Sora strode to the door and opened it a fraction to see the startled faces of both of his twins staring back at him.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked and both of them shuffled their feet, still dressed in their pajamas. Demora suddenly adopted her usual attitude.

"Gentai had a nightmare." Demora said and quickly and Gentai looked incredulously at his twin.

"Excuse me, we had the same freaking nightmare, Demora. You know: the twin connection." Gentai said, slightly haughtily. "Besides, you were the one that came running into my room anyway, freaking out like the little girl you are." Demora seemed about to retort back but Sora laughed at that moment and it caught their attention.

"All right you two. It's two in the morning and you'll give me a headache with your arguing. Come on in." Sora said and he opened the door wider and allowed his children to enter the room. Kairi was sitting on the bed as they entered and they soon sat down next to her. Sora shut the door and joined them soon afterwards. "So tell us. What was your nightmare about?"

"Can you tell them, bro?" Demora said, allowing her self-imposed defenses to drop in the presence of their parents. Not to mention, she was still scared witless by the dream they had shared. Gentai, though in a constant battle with his sister, understood this and so nodded, protecting his sister.

"There were two people," Gentai began and his parents leant in to listen. "One was this really ugly old hag and this other guy was wearing a creepy mask. They seemed to be facing each other and the masked guy was talking about killing…you, dad." Sora arched his eyebrows. There was no surprise in any villains wanting to kill him…that was the way it was. "But…for some reason the hag said she would protect you at all costs because you were the one who would 'preserve the status quo' or something like that.

"Then she was surrounded by this really strange flame and she transformed into a great big and black dragon. That dragon attacked the masked guy who used magic to fight the dragon off. Eventually he struck a bad blow to the dragon and it reverted back to the hag who sent a magical spell at the guy and wounded him pretty badly. He mentioned something about how his power had been broken. And then…you knelt before the hag and traded some indistinct words before she died."

Sora and Kairi sat there in awe at the tale that their son had just told them. There was only one woman in all of history who would transform into a gigantic black dragon…and that was Maleficent. But she had been gone for twelve years…and furthermore: why would she protect Sora? She hated the Keyblade master for her defeat twenty years ago. And what had "preserve the status quo" meant? Perhaps the most frightening aspect however, was the masked man she had been facing off against. Who was he? But while all these things were circulating in their heads, Sora could think of only one thing to say to his children.

"It was just a dream though." Sora said with a smile. "Just remember…dreams rarely come true and sometimes their just a recollection of all the events in your life. I once had a dream that I was mauled by a tiger in high school…and that never happened."

"Yeah…so just forget it. Nothing like that could happen you guys. Think happy thoughts and dream happy thoughts." Kairi said. Their children thanked them and after pecks on the cheek they went ambling from the room back to their own rooms. As soon as the door closed however, Kairi gave a start. "What do we do, Sora?"

"Nothing. Just because they dreamed about Maleficent doesn't mean a thing. And maybe it could've been another hag who could transform into a dragon." Sora said with a shrug of his shoulders, though deep down, he was still worried and uncertain. "Come on, it was just a nightmare. Now let's get some sleep…we've got an important day tomorrow."

And to that, the couple fell asleep.

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The next morning dawned bright and cheery for the people of Radiant Garden on the day of the meeting of the Parliament of Worlds. Hayner was found going to the chambers quite early while Olette was taking Jeanette to where she would hang out with Gentai and Demora for fun. That morning was a flurry of activity as people from many worlds poured in. This was not to say that people from _every_ world sent people. There were some that didn't know too much of the presence of Radiant Garden and others who had no one to spare at the time.

However, there powerhouses among those in the parliament and they were those who showed their full support to Sora. Mulan had come from the Land of Dragons on a reprieve from the Emperor in order to perform those duties. Genie came from Agrabah, always sending Aladdin and Jasmine's regards, and he almost _always_ stayed afterwards to help Sora "remodel" the castle. Elizabeth Swann came from Port Royal since she had nothing to do but raise her son what with Will manning the _Flying Dutchman_. Even Jane Porter had come from Deep Jungle once a month to meet with them…though there had been no real problems there since Clayton. But the person that Sora was most anxious to see once a month was the member from Destiny Islands: his mother.

As soon as she arrived in Radiant Garden he ran up to her and hugged her, happy at seeing her as he was able to see her only once a month.

"Oh Sora, I'm glad to see you too." his mother cried happily and Sora let go of her, looking at her fondly. "Oh, my boy is all grown up. If someone had told me when I had you that I was going to raise a king I would have told them they were off their nut…but here you are."

"Mom, you'll make me blush." Sora said with a grin. His mother then embraced Kairi and, naturally, asked about her grandchildren who she'd be able to see after the meeting. Sora's mother had always approved of Kairi as a suitable choice (especially for one of his lazy nature) and she loved her grandchildren as if they were her own. Kairi was especially fond of Sora's mother and had even taken to calling her "mom" as well. Though, Kairi was naturally wondering of her own foster parents she still looked at Sora's mother as her own. "So, how're the islands doing?"

"Oh, they're wonderful." his mother of sixty said with a smile as they began to move off into the castle. "The trees are in full growth and the flowers in full bloom. The houses have been rebuilt for years but you knew that…Children have finally returned to the island and, oh, it makes me so happy to see it. Even that old legend of the paopu tree is starting circulate around."

"Glad we could help with that." Kairi said with a smile. Kairi found out, the day of their wedding, that Sora had been holding one piece of paopu fruit to share with her on the day of their wedding. He ultimately gave it up in order to replant the paopu tree on the islands. A few months ago, his mother had told him that the tree was now in full bloom and handed him the first fruit from the tree. That night was the night that Sora and Kairi shared it at last…before doing…other things...After a small amount of time they at last reached the parliament chambers.

That day was, ironically, the ten year anniversary of the Parliament of Worlds. To that point, everything in the worlds was going well. Often at these meetings he heard of how much good the Keyblade wielders were doing and that made Sora happy. The Order had really reformed from the days that Edge had led it. Not that it was Edge's fault…but Sora had never figured out why more than half of the generals opposed any action in the worlds. Either way, the worlds were mostly at peace save for the occasional outbreak of Unbirths. Sora knew there was a war going on between the Order and a new leader of the Unbirths but the conflict hadn't surfaced in the worlds as of yet. So for the most part, the Parliament of Worlds focused on the rest of the cleaning up of Twilight Town and Destiny Islands. Around noon, everything was finished. Many people were heading back home but Hayner and Olette stayed behind as per usual to not only give Gentai and Jeanette a chance but also so Hayner could keep up more with his sword fighting lessons. Mulan stayed behind this time as well in order to talk with Sora and Kairi regarding the issue of children as, even after twelve years of their own marriage, they had already broken the norm and had not yet had children. Genie also went off to do his work in the castle. This left Sora and Kairi to take Sora's mother to meet with her grandchildren.

"Oh, my young eleven year old grandson already having a crush on a girl." his mother said with adoration as she gave her grandson a bone-breaking hug. They had just told her about Gentai's infatuation with Jeanette, which Demora had promptly ignored. "I remember when your father came in as a young boy and began chattering on about Kairi…oh, that was when I knew he had a crush."

"Mom…" Sora said embarrassedly. His mother just waved it off quickly.

"Oh, Sora, I'm sure that you've told Kairi about the moment that you first started liking her." his mother chided and Sora nodded his head as Kairi came up to him and locked her hand in his.

"And I wouldn't have him any other way." Kairi said with a smile. After a few hours with her grandchildren, the gray haired woman was outside the deck of her Gummi Ship. She hugged and kissed her son…no, her children, farewell and flew off. Sora smiled as she left. Just one more month and he would see her again…assuming, of course, that nothing happened.

And so, Sora went back to watching the horizon for what was to come.

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Author's Note: There it is! The first Sora and Kairi chapter and Kairi's first appearance. I'll address the Roxas point first since I know you all may be quick to dish out on me for that. I'm making the point that Roxas and Naminé do still exist in Sora and Kairi but they've been part of them for so long that they can filter those thoughts immediately unless their stressed out like Sora was after the dream. So, that's why they're not usually there. Now, yes, I'm sorry for all of you hoping for more generaliciousness but there is more of that to come, I promise. I hope you like the picture I've painted of the two children who are actually VERY similar to their namesakes (I'll leave you to decide how). I'll note that they are NOT going to be Keyblade wielders and serve more of a support function for their parents (as well as slight comic relief). Yes, Leon has a prominent role here so deal with it. Also, what do those dreams mean? Why did I name this chapter "Watching the Horizon"? Oh, so many questions plague us but you'll have to relax for now. I've finished setting up the story so now we dive right in next chapter to the plot and roller coaster I've set up. So get ready, get set, go review, and Dare to Be Silly.

P.S. I may not have a chance to reply to reviews until a later date so if you don't hear from me, it's not because I'm ignoring you. I just don't have access to Internet.


	4. Chapter 3: The Sacred Crown Shattered

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts at all...save for the four games of it sitting on a shelf in my room.**

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Chapter 3

The Sacred Crown Shattered

A week passed within the Order and there were no assaults of any kind, for which Riku was very thankful. He was beginning to lose sleep over the multitude of dreams he was having over Gentai's death. He knew that they had to mean _something_. But what that something was, he wasn't quite sure of just yet. Regardless, he continued to spend his days training Sikaru and running the Order like it should have been run. Sikaru began to _show_ a decrease in arrogance on his part but Riku could still feel it festering in his heart and he didn't like the look of that at all. Regardless, he was a strong apprentice and could have rivaled Juthias, if not for that small flaw.

However, even with the troublesome apprenticeship of Sikaru there were many things that Riku could be grateful for, such as no meeting of the generals in a few days. This was largely because he had thankfully avoided a close call to a meeting when he had learned, himself, that Disney Castle had been attacked. Mickey had assured him that everything was all right but Riku was less convinced. He was a little elated when he heard that the Parliament of Worlds had gone fine and that things were progressing well in the worlds. But his mind was still troubled.

One particular morning, around eight thirty, Riku woke to a rather sunny day at Crown Fortress. He was later at waking up than normal on this day but he didn't worry; training with Sikaru didn't start till nine thirty and besides, he could be late while Sikaru couldn't. He quickly took something to drink as he stepped outside on the balcony and allowed the cool fresh air to whip around his face. He sniffed the air. This was still a favorite pastime of his in the mornings because, though the darkness was gone from the worlds and within him, it still had left him that gift of smell that came in handy oh so very often. He extended his scent out around the entire fortress, searching for the other generals, for his apprentice, locating Franz where he always was in the space bay. But something was off…there was just a faint twinge in the normal smell of the castle. Riku tried to place his finger on it as to what it was but just couldn't figure out what it could be. So he shook his head and by so doing was able to shake it off.

He strode back into his room and put on a navy blue shirt, straightening out the creases and folds within it. He walked to his bathroom and splashed copious amounts of water on his face and combed his hair. That task in and of itself took enough time and he even began considering getting it cut. That made him chuckle and he let it be, striding to his closet and placing his typical yellow vest on him. Nineteen years and he was still wearing the same clothes…He pushed the thought out of his mind and left his room. The halls were still quiet at this time as many inhabitants of the fortress were beginning to wake up.

Riku himself went down to the cafeteria on the first floor and got a muffin and some coffee for breakfast. The last time he had spoken with Sora he had learned that Destiny Islands was going along very well. Riku, knowing the high caliber quality of both fruits and coffee beans on the island immediately went there himself to garner transportation of said delicacies. So, in a way, the coffee beans made Riku feel as if he was at home even when he actually wasn't. Coffee in hand he went to the Tactic Division. That was usually his first stop in the mornings: to see how well the war was going on the worlds they were stationed at. Riku was happy to find that everything was going well and peace was being maintained in the worlds…or at least, that was what the boards were telling him. He finished off his muffin and his coffee and made his way to the simulation room. Sikaru was already there, waiting outside the door impatiently.

_He's as impatient and fidgety as he is arrogant…_Riku thought with distaste but didn't let it show on his face whatsoever. As he walked up to Sikaru, the nineteen year old heaved a great sigh of relief and unlocked the door to the simulation room with Pale Twilight. He strode in confidently and Riku smirked while shaking his head, following in after the boy.

"So, what's the drill for today, Master Riku?" Sikaru said with his own smirk. "Is it more stealth missions like the past few days? Oh, I know, how about a big bad and ugly Unbirth battle?" Sikaru's eyes flashed at this mention and Riku knew that was exactly what this boy wanted. He had barely been able to master stealth missions the day before and here he was, still expecting to take on the big guns without assistance. His abilities assumed too much for himself.

"Actually," Riku said tentatively, wasting his time by walking slowly to the control panel. "I was thinking we'd try something a bit new…and on a world we've never tried in the simulator before."

"Oh?" Sikaru said, arching his eyebrows as his eyes widened a bit. "I thought we already kind of tried everything in the book, unless there's stuff from legend or experience that I may have missed in your extremely boring lectures."

"How often have I ever lectured you, Sikaru?" Riku asked, placing one of his hands on his hips while glaring at the young boy.

"Not often…but when you do I tend to zone you out. That was what I did to some instructors in the library when I first came here." Sikaru said with a smile as he remembered the time when he arrived at Crown Fortress when he was the ripe age of fourteen. "So, what are we doing today?"

"We're trying out the Tung-Shao Pass in the Land of Dragons." Riku said as he scrolled through the list of worlds. He grimaced as he did so, remembering the large sum of munny that the Order had to pay to get the computer program from Pence in Twilight Town. True, the money went towards rebuilding Twilight Town but it was still a hefty sum. "On this world you will be faced with an overwhelming swarm of flying Unbirths. Your goal and objective: eliminate as many of them as you can within two minutes." Sikaru nodded his head with a smile. This would be easy.

"Bring it on." Sikaru said and Riku nodded his head. He flipped the simulator switch and it started up. The gray, steel walls of the simulation room melted away to reveal a snowy mountain with a large peak reaching to the top. When Sikaru looked up to the crest of the mountain he saw many flying Unbirths soaring down from there. He summoned Pale Twilight to his hand and held it defensively across him. The Unbirths flew and circled around him. He examined their movements for a moment and then decided the best chance to strike. He leapt at one of them…but when his Keyblade came down, it had sliced through thin air. The snow had gone, as had the piercing wind, to be replaced once more with the walls of the simulator room. "What the heck?!"

Sikaru quickly turned to Riku who was shutting down all the controls on the simulator machine which cut out any possibility that the machine was malfunctioning. Furthermore, Riku seemed to be extremely worried about something because he had a preoccupied look on his face as he shut everything down. At last, Riku decided to voice himself to his young apprentice.

"Sikaru, head back to your quarters. I'll come and find you there when I'm done." Riku said hurriedly but Sikaru was so confused he wasn't about to leave without an answer.

"Why?" Sikaru asked, perhaps a bit more snottily than he had intended to. Riku turned to him and fixed him with a glare.

"Because the generals just called a meeting. Now go." Sikaru at last obeyed his master's orders with a quick "whatever" and Riku shook his head. He had no time for his apprentice to question his authority. Shortly after Sikaru had left the simulation room, Riku did so as well and he quickly took a lift down to the ground floor of the majestic Crown Fortress. He had no idea what the meeting was about…but it wasn't a monthly meeting and as there had been no attack on the fortress in days, he could only figure it wasn't good. When he arrived on the ground floor he sprinted to the general chambers and entered.

If the grim looks on the generals' faces were any indication of how badly this meeting was being called for then Riku assumed things were pretty bad. He quickly went to his throne and sat in it. It rose to the higher level that it usually did and all the generals summoned their Keyblades and formed the crown that represented the Order. Nobody spoke for a moment so Riku knew that he had to ask what was going on.

"What's the news? Spit it out now guys." Riku said quickly and Miriam was the first to lean forward.

"We just received some terrible news." Miriam said with heaviness in her voice. "Agrabah, Beast's Castle, Enchanted Dominion, Castle of Dreams, Wonderland, and Fabled Countryside were besieged in the early hours of the morning."

"The princesses of those respective worlds went missing at the same exact time." Cristophe concluded. "And…much to the chagrin of this Order, each pair of Keyblade wielders that we stationed on those worlds went missing as well."

"Dead?" Riku asked, hoping actually for the best in this situation but assuming that something much nastier had befallen the Keyblade wielders. Melissa was the first to shake her head.

"No…we assume they went AWOL and turned traitor." Melissa said clearly and Riku swore. He should have seen it coming. He tried so hard to make things better but it only made things worse. Still, he could only hope that Kairi was safe so that the power of Kingdom Hearts would be kept out of his grasp.

"Why wasn't I informed of this earlier?" Riku asked angrily. "There should be no reason. I had nothing on the Tactics board this morning to show of the attack."

"Some people here decided to not perform their duty I would assume." Marcus said with a flash of his eyes in Cothius' direction. Cothius smiled serenely back and gave absolutely no answer for a moment.

"Is it my fault that the taskmaster doesn't report to me all happenings immediately?" Cothius answered them all. "After all, I am but a humble servant of the Order and here you paint me to be neglecting in my duty."

"Perhaps that is because you _were_ Onyx's best friend!" Marcus said with a sneer and Cothius would have recoiled had he accepted the price of losing this match of wills.

"Best friend is a little strong. We were allies, nothing more. My allegiance to him terminated the moment he left the Order." Cothius stated but everybody stared at him disbelievingly.

"The point is Onyx, we can presume, now has six of the seven princesses of heart, correct?" Riku asked, clarifying all his points. The other generals nodded but Donato leaned forward in his chair.

"I'm afraid not all of us have been very clear." Donato stated and Riku looked at him confusedly. "We also received word that about an hour ago Onyx launched an attack on Radiant Garden…a massive one." Riku slumped back into his throne upon reflex and began stroking his chin. Elizabeth now leant forward.

"You see. We could have ended this war today had we known about the kidnapping of the princesses earlier." she said icily and with a sharp glare to Cothius who shrugged. "It's true that I have never advocated this war but I don't want it to end with the fall of this Order or of the worlds."

"Radiant Garden is but one world. Even should it fall, the worlds are much too stubborn to fall with it." Cothius said with a wave of his hand, as if lightly brushing the matter aside. The other generals stared at him and Riku at last emerged out of the slump in his chair.

"You're kidding, right?" he said with a small chuckle. "Kairi is one of the seven princesses of heart. If she is captured Onyx could very well get the power of Kingdom Hearts."

"We knew the danger of this when he left us ten years ago. He was angry and embittered, perhaps not at Edge's death but at his place in the Order." Elizabeth said, a fiery passion now taking over her icy demeanor. "Two years ago, when he at last gained control of the Unbirths and started this war we knew the risk and now it may come to fruition." Riku nodded, actually agreeing with Elizabeth for the first time in his whole leadership of the Order.

"Radiant Garden stands as a symbol of hope for all the worlds. Ruled by the Keyblade Master and one of the princesses of heart…it is a symbol of just how much could be rebuilt." Riku said sternly, conveying the importance of this one world to all of them. "That place was twisted and warped by Maleficent until Sora came and rebuilt it. If that one world were to fall it would spread chaos more than when Gentai had hit Twilight Town and Destiny Islands with his magic bombs." It had hurt Riku to speak of that time but he felt it was necessary to drive the point home.

"What do we do then, Riku?" Antonio said. "We cannot hold back this storm any longer. Onyx is striking now. He's accelerating his plans and we are stretched thin. Clearly we have had twelve Keybearers betray us and usher the princesses to Onyx. Riku, if we don't move this Order will be crushed."

"I will not allow the worlds to fall on my watch…and neither will Sora or the king." Riku said sternly.

"But how do we know that we can survi-" Antonio's words were suddenly cut short as a huge shattering sound ripped through the room. All ten of the generals' heads swiveled to face the crown in the center. But what they found was that there was no longer a crown to look at. The crown that the generals had formed was shattered, pieces of the light of it that remained, falling away. Everyone stared in awe at this horrific sight.

"The crown is shattered…" Melissa said in fright and almost near disbelief. However, the next thought which was thought by everyone but only voiced by one was:

"But what does it mean?" Lucas asked, scanning the faces of the generals, hoping for some sort of answer. There was silence in the room for a moment before Antonio spoke.

"This is a grim sign for us and all the worlds." Antonio said slowly and deliberately. "The shattering of our crown can only mean one thing. The power of Kingdom Hearts has been obtained."

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Sora ran through the corridors under the castle at Radiant Garden. He had to find Kairi, he had to. The surface up above was well protected, even against the current onslaught of Unbirths that just struck without mercy. The king had warned Sora of such and attack and Sora did his very best to prepare his men for the attack but some things were unexpected, such as when the attack was led by twelve Keyblade wielders bearing a symbol of the order of the Crown. Clearly, things had not been going as well as he had hoped. In any case, the battle was diversion that was well played by Onyx. It drove Sora's attention away from the arrival of his wife from dropping the kids off at school. Though Gentai and Demora were in fact the children of the king, Sora wanted them to live a very normal life and so he made them go to school with the rest of the kids rather than have private tutors. Kairi had been seeing them off when the attack began.

Now Sora realized that it distracted him and Kairi might soon be beyond his reach. But he couldn't let that happen. He left Hayner, Leon, Donald, Goofy and Mulan up above to deal with the Unbirth strikes there and he could only hope that they would hold the line as they always had. But for now, he had his heart call out to Kairi's and it led him forward into the dungeon corridors that he had traversed so long ago with Prince Adam when he was known as the Beast.

Suddenly, some Knight Unbirths sprang up. They were simply the generic Unbirths that Sora had seen so many times by now, clothed in sturdy armor that reminded Sora of the Soldier Heartless that he used to face often. Sora grimaced and summoned Kingdom's Crown to his hand. He hacked through the first row and the Keyblade cut through the Unbirths like butter. Sora had been so well trained by now against these creatures that they were as simple as Shadow Heartless were to him. Sora spun around as he continued to run, his Keyblade trailing along with him. It sliced through more Unbirths and Sora quickened his pace…he could feel a sense of foreboding creeping into his heart. Sora took both hands on the Keyblade and sliced through at the Unbirths in multiple quick slashes that dispatched the Unbirths with relative ease. Suddenly, more appeared and began hemming in around him. Onyx was trying to slow him down…and though Sora had never met the man since he started his war, he was determined to end this here and now.

Sora extended his left hand and summoned Two Across into his palm. He spun around and slashed both Keyblades through the air. He brought both of the blades in front of him and swiped them in a wide arc which caused multiple Unbirths fall away from him. They were getting closer now and so Sora decided to revert to his age old tactic to clear away large amounts of enemies. He leapt into the air and spun through the air, his Keyblades acting of practically their own accord as they circled around his body. There were still some straggling Unbirths when he landed but Sora dismissed Two Across, raised Kingdom's Crown into the air and summoned down bolts of lightning from an invisible point in the ceiling that obliterated the remaining Unbirths. He set off again.

The darkness was faint in the air, but Sora could almost as if it was emerging once again, and that meant ill for them on all accounts. Suddenly a shadow leaped at him from the darkened area of the corridors and attempted to hit him from the side. Sora quickly twisted around and blocked the blow of another Keyblade with his own. He held it there until he was able to jump off with a grunt. One of the Keyblade wielders that Onyx had arrived with was standing before him. He lunged at Sora and Sora easily batted the Keyblade away and spun out of the attack. He parried the next blow before pushing his own attack. The man stuck his Keyblade in the ground and used it as a staging device to spin around and attempt to hit Sora. Sora rolled out of the way and quickly transformed that into a sweeping kick that knocked the other man's legs out from under him. Sora sprang up and pointed his Keyblade at the man.

Before he could do anything, he was encased in a block of ice. Sora would have marveled at his handiwork were he not in such a rush. As he sped by he broke the block of ice, which the man fell out of and hit the ground unconscious. Sora saw Unbirths coalescing ahead but he would not be denied. He threw his Keyblade into the oncoming crowd and it ripped through them. Sora summoned the blade back to his hand and he ran on. He could feel his heart growing closer to Kairi's and as he did so he began to hear voices.

"You'll pay for this..." Kairi's voice came through gritted teeth and Sora somehow knew that she was bounded. "Sora will find you and when he does he'll-"

"Oh, I am sure that he will." Onyx's deep voice reverberated around the corridor. It was harsher than Sora had remembered it…but he knew he was getting closer. "And by that time, he will be powerless to stop me." Onyx's voice snickered a bit before it rose to even greater heights. "Purest of hearts! Open the door to Kingdom Hearts!" Suddenly there was a great rush of wind filling the corridors and Sora had to plant himself firmly against a wall to keep himself from being blown away. Sora knew what was happening as the sound of a Keyblade being summoned cut through the wind. Next came the sound of a door being opened wide and the wind cut through the very shirt that Sora was wearing. The power of Kingdom Hearts was flowing into Onyx's being…there was no darkness in it any longer, but the light could not destroy him.

"At last…the power of Kingdom Hearts is mine…You are no longer of any concern to me." Onyx's voice said calmly as the wind died down. Sora sprinted faster than he ever had before. As he leapt into the room where Kairi was he saw some sort of power growing in Onyx's hand as he prepared to smite Kairi. He leapt into the air.

"Sora, watch out!" Kairi's voice yelled but Sora paid no heed and prepared to bring his Keyblade down on Onyx. Onyx directed his hand upward instead and blocked the blow with his hand. Sora knew there was no chance of hitting him and so he leapt off.

"Sora…we meet at last." Onyx said with a smirk playing his face. Sora hated the man's haughty attitude. "But I'm afraid you're too late. You see," he summoned his Keyblade and raised it into the air. Behind the other six princesses of heart and their remaining eleven Keyblade vanguard, portals were formed to each respective world. "The princess of heart can pass through these portals of light unlike normal mortals. And now, their return to their worlds shall be but the beginning of a reign of terror. Commence the destruction." The keybearers made a salute and forced the princesses through the portals which closed behind them.

"Onyx…you're a coward!" Sora said angrily and Onyx chuckled.

"Oh no…I'm just not ready to play yet. We'll let the games begin soon, Sora…but I won't let nineteen years of hard work go to waste, not now that Kingdom Hearts is mine." He opened a portal behind him and stepped into it before Sora could stop him. Sora cursed but he turned around. He swiped his Keyblade through Kairi's bonds and she immediately hugged him.

"I'm sorry Sora…he sneaked up on me, I didn't expect it. The kids are fine at school but I-" Kairi said in a very upset tone. She had been used as a pawn again for some other mad and crazy individual to obtain Kingdom Hearts. Sora just held her and stroked her hair.

"The important point is that you're all right. We'll deal with Onyx's newfound power in time." Sora said and they drew apart. Kairi looked into her eyes and her fear melted away. Sora grinned at her in the way that he always did. They weren't done…not yet. As Onyx had said, this party was only starting. But then Kairi saw something that made the fear spring back into her azure eyes.

"Sora, look behind you!" Sora whipped around to face yet another Keyblade wielder.

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The generals sat in silence after Antonio's proclamation. Could it be true that Kingdom Hearts had been obtained by Onyx? None of them wanted to believe it and yet the truth was here in front of their eyes. Riku stood up. No crown fluttered back into existence or faded away because it had shattered beyond all repair. All the generals' heads looked at Riku with looks of utmost confusion, wondering what he could possibly be up to.

"I'm going to Radiant Garden." Riku said and silence followed that statement for but a moment before all of the generals began their outpour and outcry of yelling at the commandant of their Order. Riku summoned his Keyblade and fired off a shot from it and the room grew quiet. "Don't you dare tell me to NOT GO! My best friend is king of Radiant Garden. His wife and my other best friend is the last Princess of Heart needed to open Kingdom Hearts. Onyx just gained that so do you really think he'll let her live. I'm going and that's final."

"But Riku, the Order needs you to remain here! You can't go gallivanting off alone!" Antonio protested as all of the generals' chairs began to lower. Riku snapped a look to Antonio.

"I'm not. Sikaru's been itching for a field run and I'm more than happy to give it to him. You're in charge. Contact any members of the Order in that sector and have them head to Radiant Garden if they can!" Riku said quickly and that left the generals standing there, completely dumbfounded. Riku made his way through the corridors quickly to Sikaru's quarters. He could only hope that his impetuous and young apprentice actually obeyed his orders for once. He input the master code into Sikaru's doorway and the door slid open to reveal Sikaru tossing a ball up into the air while lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. He heard Riku enter and turned to face him, abandoning his previous activity.

"Master Riku? Is the general meeting finished? Are we training again?" Sikaru asked rather quickly, unable to contain his joy of starting up training again. Sitting around was far too boring for him.

"No, we're not training." Riku said darkly and Sikaru's face fell. "Get up, we're going to Radiant Garden. It's just been attacked and I don't know how bad it is so we're going to check it out."

"You serious?" Sikaru said with a bright smile and Riku nodded. Sikaru leapt off his bed. "Then what're we waiting for, let's go!" Riku chuckled a bit.

"I'll meet you in the entrance hall; I need to pick up a communicator." Sikaru nodded with a grin and set off for the entrance of the castle. Riku turned out of his room and headed quickly for Space Bay. This wasn't where the communicators were located but he had to makle sure that Franz was on his toes while he was gone. He quickly informed Franz of the entire situation and Franz immediately began regrouping and reforming units of the Gummi Ships while Riku was in absence. Riku's next stop was that of the Tactics Room. Of course, the board was now lit up in red on Radiant Garden and the caution light was affixed on the other six Princess of Heart worlds. He snorted loudly, angry that this information hadn't been privy to him _before_ the generals had to call a meeting. He hated the slobbering generals...well, everyone but Melissa and Antonio as well as Cristophe. They were the only ones he could really trust in the whole scheme of things. He quickly grabbed a communicator and shoved it into the pocket of his vest.

With that set to go, he left to go and meet Sikaru in the Entrance Hall of Crown Fortress. Sikaru himself was a great big handful of trouble. He had never had this kind of trouble with Juthias, his previous apprentice. Juthias had always been calm and ready and never let his pride or arrogance prove to be his undoing. Juthias was almost a model of what an apprentice should be...while Sikaru was almost the complete opposite and made Riku feel like an abject failure even after success. He snapped his head up from where it had been staring at the ground and realized that he was approaching the entrance hall of the fortress.

"Ready master Riku?" Sikaru said with eager anticipation. Riku said no word but summoned his Keyblade. He held it in front of him and focused his heart upon Radiant garden. A beam shot out from his Keyblade and a keyhole formed in front of him, a corridor of light twisting beyond that. Riku cocked his head towards the portal and Sikaru seemed to have gotten the hint for he headed straight into the portal. Riku followed and after a short amount of time, he emerged into the war-torn marketplace of Radiant Garden. Sikaru was staring dumbly at the scene before him. Riku smirked grimly; he had never really experienced this kind of thing first hand before...

But then again, this was pretty bad. Not nearly bad as Twilight Town or perhaps Destiny Islands had been years ago but still. There were a few bodies lying around the marketplace and some chunks of the buildings had fallen off. As per usual, there was a mist swirling around that the Unbirths fed and multiplied on. Other than that, the marketplace was deserted. Riku looked to the castle in the distance and saw that at least that building didn't have smoke rising from it. That meant the attack never got that far and Sora had managed to stop it. Riku beckoned to Sikaru and Sikaru summoned Pale Twilight to his hands. Riku then led the way towards the Borough. It was true that he hadn't been here for two years since the war started but nothing had really changed.

As soon as the pair set foot in the Borough the generic Unbirths as well as the Knights popped up. Riku immediately fired off a shot of Dark Aura while Sikaru dashed forward and did a spin through the creatures. Riku himself ran forward a bit and leapt into the air. When he came down it sent a shuddering shockwave through the remaining Unbirths, destroying them. Before long, they were standing outside Merlin's House. Riku took a quick peak inside but saw that, while the computer was still running, no one else was in the room. Either they had fled or were fighting on the front lines. Without another word, Riku decided to head straight for the front gates of the castle in hopes he would find _somebody_. More Unbirths inevitably popped up as they ran along but between the two Keybearers, they were all promptly eliminated. After ten minutes of solid jogging, they reached the gates of the castle and Riku was relieved to find people there that weren't dead.

Many of the soldiers of Radiant Garden were carrying their fallen or injured comrades back into the castle for healing or cremation (the body count for burials would grow too high if they weren't burned). Riku sought a familiar face but at first he didn't find anyone until he saw, leaning against the wall of the castle, the figure of Leon. he was grasping his side and was breathing slightly heavily due to a gash in his side. But for the most part he seemed okay.

"Leon!" Riku yelled out and he led Sikaru, who was very confused by this point, over to Leon. Leon nodded at Riku as he began to get up.

"We're okay, the kingdom's safe." Leon said as he steadied himself with slight help from Riku. "Onyx is a real pain. Sora figured that the whole attack was a diversion for Onyx to kidnap Kairi."

"It was...he has Kingdom Hearts." Riku said with a sneer. They had all been played somehow and now Onyx was more powerful than ever. "What else happened?"

"They came. The Unbirths and twelve Keybearers from your Order." Leon spat, but Riku knew that he understood the members had not been there on Riku's orders...or he hoped that he did. "We were eventually able to fight them off with help from the remaining members of the Parliament still here."

"But Sora? What about Sora?!" Riku yelled, hoping beyond all hope that his best friend and his wife were both okay. Leon shook his head.

"I haven't seen or heard from him since he ran off to find Her Majesty." Leon said. Riku mentally cursed not only the situation, but also himself. How could he have been so stupid? He kicked a nearby railing and screamed. Sikaru stood back, not wanting to suffer from his master's rage. Leon was now upright and quite sturdy. he faced Riku with a resolve.

"Riku, as Commandant of the Order of the Crown, you understand that you are responsible for all actions committed by members of your Order, correct?" Leon said stoutly and Riku faced him with a mixture of anger and confusion.

"Yeah...I know that." Riku said tentatively, worrying about where this conversation was going. "Why do you say that?" Leon took a deep breath as if bracing himself for something.

"Riku, you are hereby placed under arrest for the assassination of Their Royal Majesties King Sora and Queen Kairi of Radiant Garden."

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**Author's Note: Yes, my nasty little cliffhanger there. What will happen to Riku and Sikaru? Now, some stuff to be addressed.**

**Lord Moldybutt: I know you liked the generals scene in the first chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one as well. And you were right about Onyx.**

**Captain A: Though you haven't reviewed Chapter 2 yet, this answers your question regarding Onyx. He's our villain!!**

**Now, three more points. 1) I have decided on all the worlds being used, with help from Lord Moldybutt on one of them. Kim Possible, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Incredibles will be making an appearance. What about the third world you might ask? Well, it's not Disney but it is permissible in the realm of Kingdom Hearts and I have mentioned the world once before in the series. But until they visit it, it's a surprise. 2) I have two characters, both from Disney, who will make very important appearances and roles in this story. Both of them have been in my stories, one is male the other is female, and only one of them has appeared in the actual Kingdom Hearts game thus far so take a guess. 3) Yes, the poll is in so I will write a prequel if I have the time to do so but I have to work on getting other stories that I write published. So, in any case until next time, review please, and Dare to Be Silly!!**


	5. Chapter 4: The King's War Council

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kingdom Hearts whatsoever...but my b-days coming so maybe I can get it...or a PSP.**

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Chapter 4

The King's War Council

All at once, it seemed that the remaining guards that had been milling about through the area stopped what they were doing and formed a circle around the Keyblade wielding duo. Two of them brought forth handcuffs to arrest them both on sight, despite the fact that Sikaru had not been claimed to have done anything. Riku himself was staring straight at Leon with a sense of shocked numbness that pervaded his entire body. Partially it was because he was being arrested for a crime that he hadn't committed and Onyx was technically never even under his command. But the biggest sense of shock that shined through his body was that his best friends were dead. Incontrovertibly and unmistakably _dead_. There was nothing that could possibly be done to bring them back.

"NO!!" Sikaru yelled angrily and he dashed in front of Riku as if to protect him. Riku made no move to stop himself from being arrested, still filled with shock. But Sikaru's features had twisted and he was angry at this indignant strike against their Order. But that only gave Leon more reason to arrest him.

"Make sure you bring the kid as well." Leon said and he stared straight into Riku's eyes. Riku didn't notice it for a moment, too absorbed in his own thoughts. But then it clicked that Leon was in face staring at him and he soon returned the stare. And as he gazed into Leon's eyes he saw something there. There was no malice but a hint of something. A light that was there, beckoning towards Riku and informing him of something. In front of him, Sikaru was struggling with the men who were attempting to put the manacles on him. Soon, Riku placed a hand on Sikaru's shoulders and calmed him down.

"Let it go Sikaru." Riku ordered and he stuck his hands out, offering himself up to be arrested. Sikaru looked at him with absolute bewilderment. He couldn't believe that Riku, his master, was just offering them up to be arrested for something they didn't do and could never have done. Therefore, he immediately tried to protest.

"But, Master Riku, this is out-" Sikaru began but Riku shook his head. Sikaru stopped speaking and his eyes widened in an almost betrayal. Riku decided that he needed to explain his decision on this matter to his young apprentice.

"We must answer for our actions and the actions of our Order." Riku said with confidence and he soon heard the click and felt the cool metal of the handcuffs slide around his wrists. Sikaru wanted to struggle against the shackles being placed on him. But he was so stunned by Riku's proclamation that he ended up not doing so and soon his hands were placed into handcuffs. Thus it was that both the members of the Order were placed under arrest. Leon strode up to them and grabbed them by their shoulders.

"I'll take them to the dungeon. All of you return to your duties." Leon announced and the shoulder saluted. Leon then began pushing them forward and onto a golden lift. He activated some controls on the crystal stationed there and the lift began to descend. After about three minutes of silence save for the whirring motor on the lift the three arrived at what seemed to be the entrance to the dungeon. Leon pushed them forward into the damp and dank halls. As soon as the three were in, Leon pushed a switch and the door shut behind them, dousing them in a great darkness.

There was a small chiming noise and suddenly small, crystalline lights spread through the corridor, lighting up every bit of it inch by inch. Leon pushed them forward again. Even during Maleficent's time in this castle, Riku had never been down in these halls. He himself had always dwelled within the upper levels of the castle so this was completely new and foreign to him. Of course, the whole entire _situation_ was new and foreign to Sikaru and so he took this opportunity of silence to gripe about it.

"I don't understand!" Sikaru screamed out where no one could hear him save for the two men standing next to him. "You have no right to arrest us. We didn't even do anything. We can't be responsible for other people's actions! We're not the ones that killed Sora! We-"

"Sora's not dead." Riku said calmly and Sikaru stopped, his mouth hanging open at this new development. Riku quickly turned around and offered his hands to Leon who smiled and withdrew the key from his pocket. He quickly inserted them into Riku's cuffs and they fell off. Riku then summoned his Keyblade and unlocked Sikaru's own manacles.

"I don't get it…" Sikaru gasped out, slightly above a whisper. Riku swiped some of his hair out of his eyes.

"You'll understand." Riku said with a chuckle and a smirk before he turned to Leon. "I'm guessing it was a ruse and show for Onyx."

"I figured you would understand once we started taking you into custody." Leon said with a smile as he walked in front of them and began to lead them down the hallway. "We had to make sure Onyx thought that two Keyblade wielders, including its master, were dead so we could operate in private."

"You know that's not gonna last for very long." Riku said with arched eyebrows. he knew Onyx, and he knew that Onyx would figure out before long that Sora and Kairi weren't dead and were actually quite safe.

"It'll work for long enough." Leon said with a smile.

"Long enough for what?!" Sikaru asked exasperatedly. "I don't understand what's going on here!!!"

"Is he always this way?" Leon said, his head cocked slightly in Riku's direction. Riku chuckled and shrugged his shoulder while Sikaru grumbled quite audibly. Leon stopped in the hallway and put his hand against the wall. The marble floor opened slightly and a small podium with multiple buttons emerged in through the floor. Leon punched in some controls and then there was a great blast of light a little ways down the hallway. The floor was moving aside to reveal a staircase to a room down beneath even the dungeons of the castle at Radiant Garden. Leon flashed his eyes and a smile and led the two Keyblade wielders over to the staircase.

"Where are you taking us, Leon?" Riku asked, starting to wonder where this would all lead. "I mean, other than to Sora, of course."

"I'm taking you to the king's war council." Leon said and he left it at that. Riku thought he shouldn't push any further as he would find out the answer to all his questions soon enough. Regardless, he didn't even know that Sora _had_ a war council so this was a completely new development to him. Riku allowed Sikaru to precede him down the stairs and soon, as they reached the bottom, they found themselves in a corridor that seemed to lead to a room beyond. Leon quickly strode down that corridor and the two Keyblade wielders followed. Soon, they came out in a large circular room where Riku recognized many of the people in the room, from Yuffie to Aerith; he also saw Cid and Merlin as well as Donald, Goofy, Hayner, Olette and Mulan. Genie was also floating around in the room trying to keep things lively. But Riku was most overjoyed to see two of the people in that room, and so were they to see him.

"Riku!" Sora cried out when he saw his silver-haired best friend. Riku smiled greatly.

"Sora!" Riku said and, in a surprising move he hugged his chestnut haired best friend. Sora was a little shocked for a moment but returned the friendly hug.

"Hey, last time I hadn't seen you for a whole year you said no hugs." Sora said accusingly. Riku laughed at that.

"Yeah…well, that was a manly hug, I haven't seen you for two years, and for a moment I thought you were dead." Riku said with a smirk and Sora had a near offended look on him.

"This is me we're talking about." Sora said with a putting face but Kairi giggled at that and pushed her husband out of the way.

"And might I remind you that you died once before so cut it out." Kairi said and Sora pouted at her too. Riku quickly hugged Kairi and she, too, was shocked by it but warmly returned it. Riku parted from her and glanced at his two best friends. Kairi noticed the tired and worn look on Riku's face. "You okay, Riku?"

"Yeah…just tired." Riku said. He noticed a chair and sat down in it, breathing heavily. "You don't know what it's like…I'm just ready to give up right now." Sora and Kairi quickly pulled up their own chairs and sat in them, staring at their best friend. "I've been fighting this war two years now against Onyx and we've gotten nowhere. There's no one I can even trust in the generals save for a few here and there and I'm so tired…"

"That doesn't sound like Master Riku at all." came a voice from the corridor as a new figure emerged into the room behind Riku. Riku perked up. He knew that voice. He got out of his chair and turned to face the newcomer and noticed the black haired and green eyed visage of his old apprentice Juthias Iscarot. Riku smiled.

"Juthias." Riku said and Juthias nodded at him. Riku heard Sikaru groan audibly from behind him. Riku brushed off the complaint from his current apprentice to face the appearance of his former. He suddenly got a serious look on his face. "What are you doing here?"

"I was stationed in Land of Dragons through Operation Fire." He nodded at Mulan who waved at him. Clearly the two did in fact know each other. "Then I was contacted by the Order about the attack on Radiant Garden as soon as I could." Riku nodded his head. Of course Juthias would come. From what his intel had provided, Operation Flame had been a huge success and most, if not all, of the Unbirths had been eradicated on the Land of Dragons. Of course, Juthias had led that campaign and so, as he had told Antonio to contact those in the sector of Radiant Garden, Juthias would be the one most suited to join the fight. Sora stood up and came next to Riku.

"Juthias was the one who came up with the idea of making us appear dead to Onyx." Sora proffered as he motioned at Juthias and Juthias smiled. "I thought at first he was another enemy Keyblade wielder coming to attack me. He revealed that he wasn't and then the Unbirths attacked. That was when he got the idea to make it appear we were dead."

"It took some planning but I got it done." Juthias said. He then summoned his Keyblade into the room. It was a large wooden blade with a wooden hand guard as well a great bamboo shoot for its shaft. The blade at the end was a leaf. It was the Keyblade known as Nature's Wrath. "I practically came out and said I had assassinated them with the Unbirths to the guards. They all leapt down to take me but then I quietly told them he truth and they, uh, 'arrested' me."

"Good plan." Riku said and Juthias uttered thanks. "Oh, that's right. Juthias, this is Sikaru, my current apprentice. Sikaru, this is Juthias." The two shook hands, albeit Sikaru did so reluctantly. But Juthias seemed vaguely interested in the nineteen year old boy and didn't release contact for about ten seconds. Sora soon turned to face Riku.

"You know, Onyx is pretty smart." Sora said with a worn look on his face. "I mean, most people like Maleficent or Xehanort would gather all seven princesses and take them to their base but he captured the first six simultaneously and then kidnapped Kairi to here for only a few feet and BAM!" Riku nodded. At least Sora was beginning to understand why this war wit Onyx had been going on for so many years.

"Yeah…he always was smart." Riku said distastefully. "I admire Edge for having to deal with him. Heh, if Edge had never died I don't think we would have been stuck in this position."

"But the old leader of the Order did die." Juthias said confidently. "So all we can do now is honor his memory and break Onyx's grip on the worlds, right?" Riku nodded in agreement before a new though hit him.

"Which reminds me, what are we waiting here for? And where are Gentai and Demora?" Riku asked of his two best friends. Kairi was the first to answer.

"They're at school. Leon will pick them up when the day is done." Kairi said with a smile. "Gentai will be happy to see you, Riku. But anyway, we're just grateful that the district over there wasn't attacked."

"Yeah…I couldn't stand losing our kids." Sora said in a slightly disheartened voice but he quickly jumped back up. "But anyway, raising two eleven year old twins like those two is enough. You know Gentai has a crush?"

"A crush?! Already?" Riku said in surprise before he quickly asked his best friends who it was on. Surprisingly to him, it was not Sora or Kairi who answered.

"Our daughter." Hayner spoke out from over the din. "She comes here every month with us for the Parliament meeting and the week that we're usually here for she attends school with them since our programs are virtually the same." Riku nodded knowingly and acceptingly.

"So then…what are we waiting for?" Riku asked, still awaiting his answer on that subject. His next answer came from Leon, who had earlier left the room down the corridor and had now since returned. All heads in the room turned to face him as he hurried in, a slightly disheveled look.

"Sora, His Majesty's arrived!" Leon said and Sora nodded, telling Leon to bring him here discreetly. Leon bowed and left. Riku should have figured that Mickey would be coming here. He was the ruler of _all_ the worlds including Radiant Garden. And judging by the fact that Radiant Garden was a key world in the war against evil it warranted a much more personal visit. Riku wanted to continue on in conversation with his friends but he couldn't find the words to do so and so he retreated into the silence of his thoughts, which were, at that time, racing.

Radiant Garden had been attacked. It was confirmed from Kairi's comments that Onyx now had the powers of Kingdom Hearts and that could only cause a multitude of problems. Two years…and more years besides that. He had failed. He should have sent people to take care of Onyx the moment he left the Order. He was always dangerous, whether it be through words or through skill with the Keyblade. He was more of a threat, especially now, than anyone had ever been to the galaxy, even Maleficent or Gentai before him. Riku was in pain over his failure. How much longer could he continue to fight a losing battle? Riku was soon jerked from his reverie by the sound of footsteps down the corridor. He soon saw Leon emerge with Mickey in tow.

"Riku! You're here!" Mickey exclaimed as Riku seemed to be the first person he saw in the room. Everyone saluted to him, including Riku, for a moment as Mickey came to the small nucleus of Sora, Riku, Kairi, Sikaru, and Juthias. Leon went over to join Cid at the communications station. "How are ya all doin'?"

"We're holding up." Riku stated but Sora said very different words at the same time as Riku had spoken.

"We're doing great!" Sora announced and Riku looked at him with a slight glare of confusion. "What? We're not dead are we? We haven't lost any limbs and we're not bleeding profusely anywhere. Yeah, so Onyx has the power of Kingdom Hearts but it's not like we can't stop him!"

"Onyx has the power of Kingdom Hearts?!" Mickey exclaimed, slightly fearfully. "Oh no!"

"Yeah, well, we've faced people who have almost had those powers…and last time it was only two of us." Riku said with a smirk and he and Sora bumped fists. Kairi shook her head. "This time we have a whole group of Keyblade wielders so we should be able to beat Onyx if we can find him."

"That's the whole thing, Uncle Emo. Finding Onyx." Kairi said as Riku gave a visible shudder at being called by the nickname his godson had given him with his sister's help. Kairi smirked. "But knowing you and your scents we should be able to find him, huh?"

"Some help you are." Riku said and suddenly an alarm sounded off instantly. Everyone looked around for it and Tron's voice soon sounded out in the war council room.

"Sora, we just received a lot of distress calls from six worlds." Tron stated, his face appearing on the large computer screen in front of them. Riku looked at it and he, like everyone else in the room, knew what six worlds were attacked before Tron said them. "We have distress calls from Agrabah, Beast's Castle, Wonderland, Enchanted Dominion, Castle of Dreams, and Fabled Countryside."

"That figures." Sora spat out angrily. "Onyx said the return of the princesses would be the beginning of destruction. I guess he gave a bit of time before the strike."

"What do we do, Your Majesty?" Donald sounded out and Mickey began to think about the situation. Kairi was the first one to offer a suggestion.

"We split up and go help them. I can take the Castle of Dreams…on my own." Kairi added on before Sora could protest in any way. Riku nodded liking the plan but for one little snag.

"Sikaru isn't going alone. No apprentices are allowed fieldwork on their own." Riku stated stoutly and Sikaru immediately began to protest but Juthias leapt forward to pick up his prior master's defense.

"Master Riku, I can take Sikaru and we'll go to Wonderland. I've been there once before so I know what to expect. The only problem will be finding Alice. We'll come back here when we're done." Juthias proffered and Riku nodded in acceptance. Juthias summoned his Keyblade and led Sikaru through it to begin their defense of Wonderland.

"I'll go to Enchanted Dominion, since I'm good friends with Phillip." Mickey said a little too cheerfully. "Donald, Goofy, you guys head for Beast's Castle since that's closest and you need to take a Gummi Ship." Donald and Goofy saluted and immediately ran off to grab their Gummi Ship and go.

"I'll take Fabled Countryside since I know that place like the back side of my hand." Riku said with a smirk and Sora knew that left him with Agrabah. He quickly called Genie over and told him to go ahead and tell Aladdin that he was coming. Genie poofed away quickly.

"Leon, you're in charge till we get back. I'm sure Donald and Goofy know to meet back here, but when we're done we'll meet back in this chamber, okay?" Sora said and everybody nodded. The remaining members summoned their own Keyblades and opened portals to their respective worlds to begin the defense of said worlds…and to begin the ending of the war against Onyx.

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Author's Note: Whew! That was a difficult chapter to write so hopefully you enjoyed it. There's a big hint in there for something…if you remember the beginning of the story. This did revert us to the standard chapter length but they will be slightly longer later (I mean, I'm only four chapters in and this is my standard length for like eight chapters in Twisted Souls). Now, tell me in a review which defenses you want me to show in the next chapter since that's all we're focusing on and said chapter will be posted on FRIDAY, not before and not after, so hold me to that. I may not take all suggestions into account (there's one I WON'T show) but I'd like a decent three or four not ALL. That being said, two issues I'd like to discuss: 1) I've begun to modify Lineage of the Key up to chapter three so take a look at that, it will reflect much more. 2) In Tales of Existence, what would you all like me to write about? What one shots should I put in: I already have the formation of the Round of the Crown, some high school stories, Edge and Onyx's story, as well as Riku and Gentai's first fight with the Huntsman and a mission that will be later mentioned in this story. Also, the arc of Gentai and Jeanette will be written there. But what else would you like to see? In the meantime, let me know these things, review, and Dare to Be Silly.


	6. Chapter 5: Shoring Up Defenses

**DSICLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the worlds or characters (save for the enemies) that appear in said chapter below.**

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Chapter 5

Shoring Up Defenses

A ripple of light formed in the shape of a Keyhole suddenly appeared in the grand hall of the castle in the world known as the Castle of Dreams. Cinderella, the princess of that world quickly stopped to take a look at who was emerging from the portal. She had been pacing in utmost nervousness. She, along with all the other princesses, had returned to their home worlds but a few hours ago before Onyx launched his great attack on all of their worlds. It seemed so obvious that Onyx wanted to cripple them all to the point of no return. They had been betrayed by those they had trusted; a well-thought out plan indeed. No one would have suspected that Onyx had such far-reaching effects on the minds of the Keyblade wielders that were now practically beholden to him. Lucky for Cinderella and her world in general, the woman emerging from the Keyblade portal had not and would never join forces with the likes of Onyx.

The auburn haired princess, no, queen of Radiant Garden was the one to arrive in the world of Castle of Dreams, her Keyblade already drawn and ready to battle with. Cinderella ran up to her the moment she saw her fellow princess and hugged her tightly. They had all been through the same ordeal but Kairi was here ready to fight.

"You're all right Cinderella?" Kairi asked and Cinderella nodded. Kairi patted her on the shoulder. "We'll pull through this. I'm here to help with you."

"Thank you Kairi…" Cinderella said with a warm smile. "My husband's out there fighting and I…" She trailed off, afraid to finish her sentence. Kairi smiled back at her with the same amount of warmth that she had been shown.

"That's what I'm here for. I'll protect for. Do you know how well the battle's going out there?" Kairi asked, her eyes narrowing a bit in preparation for battle. Cinderella heaved a sigh and nodded her head a fraction of an inch in both directions.

"From what I can guess, the battle was going very well." Cinderella said with a heaviness to her voice that was unbecoming of a princess of heart. "But they've pushed us up to the gate and I can only guess even that might fall soon. Our archers are dealing damage. From what I hear of it in the quarterly reports, they felled one of the Keyblade wielders against us. The other then got wise and hid."

"Well, somehow, I'm more than certain that my presence will draw him out of hiding." Kairi said with a confident smirk on her face. She certainly looked ready for battle as both she and Sora had changed to their usual mission clothes before joining with the war council. Kairi's basically consisted of a t-shirt that looked like it was just the right size for her. She also wore some jeans that were not tight-fitting but free flowing for optimal movement. "We princesses of heart have to stick together. I'll protect this place but…"

"What is it Kairi?" Cinderella asked her with concern on her face.

"This war is just getting started." Kairi said with a fierce determination. "When we win this battle, gather up all the troops as fast as possible and…bring them all to Radiant Garden. We're going to mobilize and army and take Onyx down." Cinderella nodded and Kairi gave her a thumbs up before pelting out of the hall and into the courtyard. The gate that led into the courtyard was beginning to shudder but Kairi wasted no time with it. She raced her way up the ramparts and pushed past the archers, all of whom were lifted by her presence…if not by the light that was never tainted by the darkness then by the fact that she was a powerful warrior in some sense, even if they had never met her. Kairi looked into the throng of men and Unbirths gathered below and she jumped off, swinging Destiny's Way in between her legs as she landed, eliminating various Unbirths.

Many of the creatures seemed to sense her presence and so acknowledged her existence. But unlike the Heartless, they did not instinctually attack her presence but carried on with their assault. Nevertheless, Kairi used the momentary pause to her advantage to sweep around with her Keyblade and destroy many of the creatures that were threatening the soldiers of the Castle of Dreams. Some of the soldiers even gave her berth as they knew that she would require some vague use of magic in her attack. And she did. As some of the creatures began to hem in around her she sent a pillar of flame into the sky. Her black magic had certainly improved over the years. If not because Sora had helped her in some sense, then because she had trained with Merlin bi-weekly. The flame incinerated many of the Unbirths near her. But some flying creatures managed to evade her blast…but Kairi had a plan for that.

"Tendril!" She scream, pointing her blade at the ground and suddenly great tendrils of earth emerged from the ground and wrapped around the Unbirths before they could get away, squeezing them into black oblivion. The tendrils then disappeared and the ground looked, on the whole, rather normal. But Kairi knew that the battle was nowhere near finished. This was proven even more true when she heard a whooshing noise above her. She quickly raised her Keyblade above her as another Keyblade collided with it and broke contact. When Kairi looked she saw the form of a rather skinny girl whose clothes were more revealing than what she had worn at the age of fifteen and whose long black hair was tied in a ponytail. She also had a very distinctive look of rage on her face.

"Harlot!" the young woman yelled and she charged at Kairi. Kairi's face twisted into that of determination and she batted the woman's blow away from her and sidestepped her subsequent lunge at her. She aimed a blow at the woman's backside but she blocked it. The woman whipped around to face her and her Keyblade was raised above her head. Kairi didn't care to notice any of the distinctive features on the woman's Keyblade especially since she was an enemy that needed to be defeated. And the woman's snarl was enough to show that she needed to be killed because otherwise she wouldn't stop. Kairi brought her own Keyblade above her head and the two circled round, keeping in perfect step with one another. The woman then attacked her and Kairi parried the blow. All of the blows that followed took place up near the women's faces.

Finally, Kairi broke the pattern and aimed for the other woman's midsection. She managed to block that blow and took a swipe at Kairi's feet. Instead of jumping, Kairi brought her Keyblade down to block the blow there. It caught the woman off balance and as Kairi brought her blade up quickly the woman was forced to jump back. Kairi was tempted to chuck her Keyblade at the woman's head to throw her off balance but she soon decided that something so forceful was not necessary. The woman leapt into the air and brought her Keyblade down hard. Relying on her past cheerleading skills, she flipped backward and avoided the blow from the woman. She then realized the woman was relying on physical attacks which meant…she was vulnerable to magic.

"Force!" Kairi yelled and suddenly a great crushing black, gravity spell settled over the woman, drawing away her breath as she tried to regain it. For as the gravity pushed down on her, it acted as a vacuum and sucked all of the air out of her body. Kairi knew that it was cruel…but it was necessary. Soon, she dropped to the ground, the life and air gone from her body. Kairi quickly checked to make sure that was the truth before she turned back to the now ceasing sounds of battle. They had won here on Castle of the Dreams. Kairi knew that the others would win…but what price would they have to pay in the end?

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Donald and Goofy had thankfully landed inside the castle at Beast's Castle. Well, really they had managed to beam themselves down into the parlor where Belle had taken refuge, wanting to be close to the fight but not _too_ close. Adam himself was surveying the battle among the ramparts and so, after a very brief and spirited conversation with the princess (or now rather queen) as well as Cogsworth, Lumiere and the others they hurried outside. A ladder was hanging directly off the ramparts and Donald climbed up it first, followed by Goofy. When Adam saw them he was overjoyed.

"I was wondering when someone would come and I'm more than happy to see it was you two!" Adam said jubilantly but Donald's temper was short and he knew that they had no real time for exchanging pleasantries.

"Wak! We don't have time for this! What's going on with the battle?" Donald yelled out loudly and Adam cleared his throat. he turned towards the bridge, where the din of battle was coming from down below. Donald and Goofy also looked at the bridge over the ramparts, Donald jumping up and holding on in order to see clearly.

"As you can see, the soldiers I've set up over the past twelve years are quite skilled at fighting them…but we have one problem…" Adam said with a grimace and both of the Disney Castle court members knew exactly which problem Adam was talking about: the Keyblade Wielder. It was true that two of them had been assigned to Beast's Castle but one of them had already been destroyed, or rather knocked unconscious, in the dungeon halls of Radiant Garden, courtesy of the Keyblade Master.

"Don't worry! We can take him!!" Donald yelled with full confidence and Adam nodded. Goofy, however, did not share such an optimistic opinion.

"Are ya sure Donald?" Goofy asked. But Donald didn't respond and instead started pushing the Captain of the Knights down off the ramparts and onto the bridge. Thankfully, Goofy was bumping his head all the time and so, even when he landed with a crash onto the bridge below, he suffered no real damage. Donald quickly came up beside him.

"Let's fry 'im!!" Donald yelled and Goofy nodded an affirmative, holding his shield before him. They began wading their way through the crowd, Goofy knocking enemies around with his shield and Donald casting all sorts of magic to fry through the throngs of Unbirths blocking their passage. The dynamic duo managed to at last break through and emerged to an area outside of the battling armies to where a certain blue-haired Keyblade wielder was standing with a wicked smirk.

"Gawrsh, he don't look too nice." Goofy said worriedly and Donald just scowled.

"You're going down!" Donald said, at his final words he sent out a bolt of lightning at the man who easily deflected it away from him. "Uh-oh…this could be bad…" And Donald was right on the money. The man sent a chilling wave of blizzard at the duck in an attempt to freeze him but Donald erected his own reflect shield to block the blow. But the man was running forward quickly now. As he dashed along he sent little tongues of flame leaping at the duo. Donald managed to protect them with reflect spells but it wouldn't last long once they came near.

"Gawrsh, Donald, what do we do?" Goofy asked with a small iota of fear creeping into his voice. Donald tried thinking as he protected them from the magical barrage. Then suddenly, an idea popped into his head. It would probably have worked even on Sora if their best friend wouldn't know what was coming.

"Shock Shield, Goofy!" Donald exclaimed and Goofy nodded in acknowledgement. But it was too late to enact any sort of plan. The Keyblade wielder came crashing down upon them. Donald quickly dashed behind Goofy who brought his shield up. The Keyblade kept bouncing off the shield as Goofy kept moving it around to block the attacks. Donald started slowly shifting around to get behind the man, who was now verbally antagonizing the captain of the knights.

"Come on you coward, aren't you gonna fight back! You're just a coward!" the man yelled as he kept beating on Goofy's shield until at last he felt something hard hit the back of his head and he stumbled a bit. He whipped around to see Donald facing him threateningly.

"No one calls my friend a coward!" Donald yelled with a scowl so deep it almost scared the pants off of the man. But he instead scowled himself and sent bolts of lightning at the court magician. Donald countered with his own bolts of lightning and the two thrummed and crackled with the sound of combating electricity all over the place. Both the mages seemed stretched to their wits end at casting these spells but Goofy himself was busy during this time. He was quickly spinning his shield in his hand for it to gain momentum. Soon, Goofy was spinning it at a speed that was not even thought possible.

"Donald!" Goofy yelled as he jumped back and threw the shield at the Keyblade wielder. He gave a small a-hyuck as he did so and Donald jumped back as well, diverting some lightning bolts onto the spinning shield. They struck the shield and generated such a current that the man before them was taken by surprise when he hit the shield. Unfortunately for him, the shield was moving too fast for him to climb out, and due to the electricity coursing through it the man was soon shocked to death and the battle against the Unbirths at Beast's Castle was ended.

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In Agrabah, the Unbirths were quickly falling despite the fact that both of their leaders on that world were still standing. This was aided greatly by the fact that Genie was casting a multitude of magic spells into the arena that quickly obliterated their foes. Once Sora and Genie had both arrived, Aladdin had little to no chance at all to swing his scimitar into the thick of battle. Not that he minded, the attack had been pretty fierce at the beginning so he was kind of tired when his big blue pal and his good friend Sora arrived to help turn the tide. And the tide was certainly turning. He had never expected to be betrayed by the members of the Order of the Crown…none of them did. According to Sora, some members had joined Onyx in the fight and helped him with the Princesses of Heart in order to obtain Kingdom Hearts. Jasmine confirmed that fact the moment that she returned.

But those thoughts didn't matter because soon Agrabah would be completely free.

"We did it!" Sora yelled triumphantly as the last of the Unbirths were cleared away. He gave a high five to Aladdin who returned it happily. And yet, despite being the cheerful former street rat that he was, he still had a sense of foreboding. Truthfully, Aladdin had grown a little more serious over the past twelve years what with being the Sultan and all since the former Sultan died of old age as they knew he would.

"I think there's still a little bit left…" Aladdin said with a grimace and Sora looked at him before he looked over to the clearing dust and smoke of Agrabah. From there he saw two figures emerging. Aladdin took a step forward, as if to help Sora deal with these two new arrivals but Sora put a hand on his shoulder as if to hold him back.

"I'll handle this." Sora said with a stone cold look on his face. He left Aladdin's side and proceeded towards the two Keyblade wielders, one male and one female. The female, with raven black hair looked to be the younger of the two, as though she were the apprentice of the man. Sora approached them and they smirked.

"Well, Aimee, would you look at this? The Keyblade Master himself." the man, with his long brown hair tied in a ponytail told his apprentice. She nodded a bit before speaking.

"Imagine our reward from Onyx if we were to defeat him." Aimee, the young female said. Sora's face twitched upward into a smirk.

"We'll see about that." Sora said plainly and his fingers twitched, calling Kingdom's Crown to his hands. He got into his usual battle stance and faced them down. The two chuckled and summoned their own Keyblades. Sora didn't care to note the details about them…only that they were the enemy. The two ran at him and he held his Keyblade up, swiping it in front of him to block both of their blows. He twirled out of it to give him some space for maneuvering. They didn't give him much time for Aimee took a jab at Sora. He parried it and forced her Keyblade up before trying to kick at her feet. She didn't fall for it and jumped. That didn't matter to Sora, however, since he fully expected it. He instead took that moment to parry the attack from the other man, whose name was Clive for easier reference.

Sora spun around on the spot and carried his Keyblade with him in order to block both of the attacks. As he came out of his defense, Clive was now in front of him and Aimee was in the back. Clive struck first and Sora batted the blow aside before tacking a jab at him which soon turned into an uppercut since Sora was forced to whip his Keyblade behind him in order to block the blow at his backside from Aimee. He knew the fight wouldn't last much longer if the two kept striking in tandem. So Sora whipped around again to face Aimee and aimed a blow at her midsection. She jumped a bit as she parried the attack and Sora carried his attack forward. This sudden move caused their Keyblades to grate against each other as the offensive was pushed on Aimee. Aimee tried holding him off, but it was looking hopeless.

Clive went for an attack at Sora but Sora just shifted his position and the attack blew right past him. But this also forced Sora to break the attack on Aimee. He broke off and twirled around, holding his Keyblade at the ready. As if reading each other's minds they sent a rush of lightning and ice shards at Sora. Sora anticipated such a move and quickly cast a low level reflect spell. As they juiced up the power on their spells, so did Sora, expanding his shield before transforming it into a great wall of fire. The two Keyblade wielders leapt away from it and Sora released the spell. However, unexpected to the two others, Sora did not wait for the fire wall to fully drop before he came charging through the flame, his Keyblade held diagonally across his chest. He locked blades with Clive and pushed him off.

Clive flipped backwards before rebounding and flipping over him. Sora easily blocked that blow with to his backside and fluidly transformed it into a lower parry from Aimee's attack which then changed into an upper parry from Clyde's attack. Sora knew that if the battle carried on against both of them much longer things would not go very well for him. He spun around again and the two were so surprised by the speed and ferocity of the spin that they backed off. That was all Sora needed. He quickly came out of his gyrating twirl to throw his now flaming Keyblade in a fire raid that soon seared and ripped through Aimee's flesh. He hadn't wanted to kill her but she had left him with very little choice. Aimee screamed in agony as her flesh burned away and the blade seared through her very beating heart, causing her to crumple in absolute agony before the last of her life was drained away.

This seemed to anger Clive beyond the point of no return. He gave a feral cry and rushed at Sora, jabbing his Keyblade forward with great strength. Sora batted it aside but was soon forced to parry an attack from up above. Clive was striking faster now and he aimed below at Sora's legs. Sora jumped to avoid it but swung his Keyblade down. He knew that Clive would feint the attack due to his own attack. That was why Sora quickly transmuted his attack upward to block the attack there as his feet landed on the ground. Clive made a hit for his head which Sora made jerk to the side before twisting the blade away from him. Clive screamed again and ran at him. He struck up above, down at the feet, and about three or four blows were traded near Sora's midsection before they both spun out of their attacks. Both of them were breathing heavily, each facing a skilled opponent.

Clive lunged forward and jabbed once more at Sora. Sora held a Keyblade in front of him and the blow just seemed to glance off. Clive raised his Keyblade above him and swung it down like a mighty hammer to try and slice straight at Sora's body. Sora rolled away from the attack and managed to come back behind Clive. Clive had no time to react before the blunt side of Kingdom's Crown was crushed against his backside. He stumbled forward before whipping around and dashing forward again. Sora aimed a blow at his feet, which he blocked with the Keyblade, before he followed up with a roundhouse kick to the knees, causing Clive to collapse. But Clive would not be denied and took one last swipe at the Keyblade Master's legs. Sora had no choice. He leapt over the attack and as he came down, Kingdom's Crown pierced the man's flesh and heart, leaving both master and apprentice dead on the desert streets of Agrabah. Sora sighed heavily with both relief and defeat. He hadn't wanted to kill them…their blood was on his hands…but how much more blood was on theirs. Sora shook the thought from his head and quickly went to the palace where Aladdin looked him up and down.

"Are you all right?" Aladdin asked and Sora nodded. His eyes were drooping a bit but that was just because he was a little exhausted. He would be all right in no time. "Well, we got 'em Sora. Thanks."

"No problem." Sora said wearily, waving the matter aside. "Now I have a favor to ask of you." Aladdin looked at the king of Radiant Garden expectantly. "Onyx has gone too far this time and we need to stop him. We're gonna build up a huge army at Radiant Garden and take him down."

"You want me to gather up some soldiers here and take 'em to Radiant Garden with me?" Aladdin asked his friend and Sora nodded. Aladdin smiled. "No problem." Sora smiled back. Now, all that was left was to see how the other defenses had gone.

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Mickey quickly leapt around, dodging the attacks of this practically berserk Keyblade wielder. His blows came slowly but they were powerful and Mickey could only hope to slow him down. It wasn't very hard but Mickey was beginning to think that the guy would never tire. Besides, he wouldn't be the only one left if Phillip hadn't intervened and helped defeat the last one. Mickey was powerful, certainly. But he was growing old now and it was harder than it had been back in his own prime. Mind you, he was still much more powerful than many members of the Order of the Crown. None more so exemplified than now. Mickey landed farther away from the man and fired off a large chunk of blizzard at the man. It hit the man in the backside and he screamed in pain.

The man whipped around, and with a feral roar, charged at Mickey as though he were a bull. Mickey avoided the blow and struck the man with a fierce blow to the back of the head. He crumpled immediately, blood streaming from the back. Mickey sighed. Phillip ran up to him, away from the area where the last remnants of the battle were being cleaned up. They quickly had a short conversation regarding sending the army to radiant Garden to prepare for fighting. Phillip was, of course, more than willing to oblige. Mickey nodded in thanks and sat upon a nearby rock, his legs dangling over the edge. He was a little tired, but there had been quite a heavy burden on his heart these few days. Eight attacks on the only eight truly sovereign worlds and Mickey had detected a great darkness…somewhere.

Suddenly, Mickey felt a twinge behind him and he turned around to face the forest behind him. There was nothing there…but Mickey could have sworn that he felt something there. He had thought it was darkness, however faint. But that didn't mean anything. Darkness barely existed anymore…only in a very small amount of those who had remained allied to darkness before. But still, there was darkness that he had felt there. And it felt awfully familiar. And yet it did not feel malignant. But Mickey had no time to discern and sift through these feelings anymore for he was worried about the safety of the other worlds. So he opened a portal back to the war council chamber on Radiant Garden with his Keyblade and stepped through, oblivious to what would happen there soon.

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**Author's Note: Okay…I said Friday and I meant FRIDAY!!! Now then, what did Mickey sense? Well, you'll find out when I post next chapter. A few things to notice about this chapter. Yes, our heroes have fought Keyblade wielders before but they were all dead for years and a piece of crap. This is their prime. Yes, I made Aladdin sultan for two reasons: it's been thirteen years since he got married and also as a tribute to Douglas Seale who died years ago and had provided the voice for the Sultan (kind of like how Ricardo Montalban died some time ago…sniff). Anyway, all the fights in here were for a specific purpose, especially Sora's. Kairi won't get enough real action here and Riku will so yeah…and Wonderland would be too hard. On that note, do you know how hard it is to write four distinctive Keyblade battles in one chapter that are exciting and to write them so you (the reader) views them the way I choreograph them? It is EXTREMELY hard!!! That made this chapter very hard to write so you better have liked them battles! Tell me which you thought was the best and review on ALL of them for me, please. Two more things: can you imagine if they put a Tonberry Heartless in the game…we'd all be screwed. And also, it's my birthday today so I'm 19 at long last! I'm the age of Sikaru…hah…that's funny and totally unplanned (though today was _supposed_ to be the debut of this story). Oh well, please review and Dare to Be Silly**

**P.S. Next chapter brings in our two important Disney characters...but I don't know when I'll post it. **

**P.P.S. I updated my profile for an OC you've met before but since I will be making him more important (I just realized this) I feel he needs more mention.**


	7. Chapter 6: Terms of Alliance

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts unfortunately...but I finally own a PSP!!!**

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Chapter 6

Terms of Alliance

When Mickey returned through the portal he found that Donald and Goofy were already in the war chamber with Prince Adam next to them. The report he received from his two friends was that apparently Adam had prepared a force before they were ready to leave and had joined the duo on their Gummi Ship in order to come to Radiant Garden. And that gave Mickey and idea. There wasn't much time to think on it however since there was a huge puff of blue smoke in the room that caused everyone to cough and at the same time there was a large Keyhole shaped portal that opened up. Aladdin, Jasmine, Iago, Abu, Carpet, Genie and a number of palace guards appeared in the war council room, with Sora emerging from the portal. He acknowledged Mickey's presence but was unable to do much more than that before three more portals opened behind him with the other four members who had led the defenses emerging in behind them.

Juthias and Sikaru arrived together, looking very disheveled from their battle but nonetheless very whole. Granted, Sikaru looked worse than Juthias with a number of burn marks on his clothing, namely the navy blue jacket he wore over his shirt of similar color. Juthias' own brown attire looked significantly better in comparison, but he had been out in the field for months. Riku himself was completely fine though his hair looked a little dirtier and there were flecks of dirt peppering the complexion of his face. Kairi looked the best at least, having only fought one Keyblade wielder that had ended the battle. Thankfully, as Mickey would soon find out, none of them had encountered Onyx.

Sora ran to Kairi and quickly gave her a hug. All of them then quickly gave their reports. For the most part, all of the defenses went very well. Sora told them that he had defeated his Keyblade wielders in battle and Kairi had only needed to take on one. Sora beamed proudly when his best friends from Disney Castle told their harrowing story about the duel with the lone Keyblade wielder at Beast's Castle. Mickey's report was very short, as he knew they had more pressing matters to deal with. Riku's report was also fairly simple. One of his wielders fell to his blade and the other one fled out of cowardice. Juthias' and Sikaru's news had to be the worst. While Wonderland had been well protected, both of the traitors they had been sent to deal with their had escaped. Regardless, Sora and Mickey were still happy with the news. Sora then turned to ask Leon about how things were here in Radiant Garden to find he wasn't there. The mystery of his disappearance was soon answered.

"Mom! Dad!" came the unified voices of both Gentai and Demora as they ran up to their parents from where Leon was leading them into the room. Jeanette came in slowly behind them and ran up to her parents. Sora and Kairi both turned to face their children who ran into their arms. Despite being eleven already they valued heir parents' love and hugs more than anything in all the worlds. This was often compounded by the fact that they could be wiped away from existence at any moment. Sora hugged his daughter while Kairi hugged Gentai and they remained that way for a moment.

"They told us about the attack at school…" Gentai said, a slight amount of worry in his voice. "We we're worried."

"Gentai was more worried than I was." Demora said haughtily and Gentai threw her a scathing and disbelieving look. "I know you would come out on top!"

"Please…" Gentai said with a wave of his hands. "You asked to be excused from the classroom when you heard and I had to stay in order to take notes for you." Demora glared at him. Their usual argument had started again. Demora wanted to prove she was the stronger one but only when she had been the weaker one in the situation. Sora and Kairi laughed, and in fact many people in the room laughed at the exchange between the siblings. But no one laughed louder than Riku, which was a laugh that both the fraternal twins recognized. They turned around to face the visage of their father's best friend.

"Uncle Emo!" Demora announced to the room at large and everyone, even the usually emotionless Leon and Cloud, laughed loudly. Riku grimaced as the two kids ran up to him and gave him a hug. Riku returned the gesture affectionately. It was moments such as this that made him feel that perhaps one day he would be able to love again. Sora's kids were two of the things that made him truly happy when he thought of them, trapped inside the world of politics and generals. Sora smiled at the sight of this occurrence and Kairi wrapped her arms around Sora as well. But Sora broke the contact and faced the king.

"Well, what now Your Majesty?" Sora asked, seeking guidance from the tiny mouse king.

"Gee Sora…this is your show don't ya think?" Mickey told the young king of Radiant Garden. Sora put a hand to his chin and thought about this. "I mean, you were the one who formed the Parliament of Worlds. So whatever we do is under your command." Mickey paused for a moment as silence pervaded the room. "Though I would suggest possibly building up an army."

"Yeah…I thought of that too." Sora said, furrowing his brow a bit. Kairi looked at him concernedly for a moment before Sora seemed to have struck gold in his mind. "I suppose we should-" But the final words of his sentence never came out, for at that moment a green pillar of flame erupted in the room, not damaging any of the equipment but somehow bringing a much worse sign. Even before the flames faded away, all six Keyblade wielders in the room summoned their respective Keyblades to their hands and there was a large clatter as many other people in the room retrieved their weapons. They all hurriedly did this because they knew that green flame meant only one thing: Maleficent was back.

Sure enough, as the flames receded they found the towering and still imposing form of the Mistress of All Evil. As Mickey stared up at the pallid faced sorceress, he at last understood the slight rush and brush of darkness he had felt in Enchanted Dominion. Maleficent, still clad in her ebony and purple robes of night looked, if anything, worse than she had twelve years ago. There were large begs around her eyes and her face was even more pale than it had been when Sora had last seen her. And yet, to all around, they still knew her as a threat for she stood with an air of authority around her. Everyone stared at her as she entered in with a small smirk on her face. Riku was the first to speak at last.

"Maleficent!" Riku spat loudly. Maleficent turned towards him and the two children who were cowering slightly behind him. "How did you even get in here?"

"Riku, how wonderful to see you again." Maleficent said, not answering Riku's question but smiling at him all the same. Riku didn't bite at the bait and held his Keyblade up a little more. She chuckled a bit. "Might I remind you that this castle was once mine…I know its halls, and I knew His Majesty's path." Mickey gave a gasp as Maleficent nodded her head towards him.

"What do you want here?" Riku asked as he felt the presence of Gentai and Demora quickly leave from behind him to join their parents. Maleficent, however, had no chance to answer before Demora spoke up in all her cheekiness.

"Hey…Gentai, I think that's the hag." Demora said in a little more than a whisper, referencing the dream that they had both had recently. Maleficent seemed to pick up on this and turned sharply to the two twins.

"Who are you calling a hag?!" Maleficent yelled in all fury and her arm lifted up, becoming wreathed in green flame. Sora stepped in front of them with a very set look on his face, with Kingdom's Crown held in front of him.

"Watch what you do to my children Maleficent!" Sora yelled loudly and Maleficent's eyes widened with shock. Clearly, she had not known of Sora's children. Sora knew this wouldn't be enough to convince Maleficent to stop and so he added at the end, "May I remind you that there are more than enough people here who would love to personally finish you off." He glinted his eyes at Maleficent and she retreated with a smile, the green flames disappearing and the green orb on top of her staff dying down.

"No matter…I did not come here to harm you regardless." Maleficent said with a small bow. Riku wasn't convinced.

"What should stop us from running you through right here and now?" Riku asked viciously and Maleficent cocked her head slightly towards him. She sighed loudly.

"It's really quite simple. What I call for is an alliance between the two of us." Those words were followed with silence. It seemed as if the very foundation of sound was gone from the room; no, as if the very _air_ had gone from the room. Was Maleficent truly here to seek aid? Or was it to trick them? "We have worked thrice before, you remember?"

"Those were only because they were for our mutual benefits." Kairi said scathingly and Maleficent nodded her head. "Nothing long lasting."

"That is true, of course. However, we live in times where forming a lasting alliance would be mutually beneficial to the both of us." Maleficent said. Nobody in the room said anything but Maleficent began to pace around a bit. The others backed off, at least willing to hear her out. "You know of Onyx of course…but perhaps you do not know what he plans to do."

"And what exactly is that?" Sora said, almost demandingly, and Maleficent was more than happy to oblige.

"Twelve years ago, I was wounded and broken. Before I had the chance to recuperate all but the deepest darkness disappeared and that was broken down into nothing. I took refuge away from the worlds. Then…Onyx went looking for me." Maleficent paused at this moment, as if steeling herself for what she was about to say. "Onyx wishes to find a way to bring back the darkness. With that he will rule all worlds."

"Why is that such a bad thing for you?!" Riku said in an antagonizing tone. "You love the darkness so it would just refuel your insane desire to take over the world."

"You misunderstand. In my weakened state, if I were to accept darkness it would destroy me. And as for Onyx ruling all the worlds…well, I cannot have that you see." She gave a small chuckle here and turned to face Sora, staring into his eyes. "I would rather see the worlds in the hands of you people than in the hands of one such as Onyx and…Onyx wishes to destroy you all. And if he does I cannot take revenge on you myself."

"What are you even proposing?" Sora asked, wary of the witch, and yet slightly willing to trust her.

"Even if I die in the effort to preserve the status quo, I will not let these worlds fall to _Onyx_." She spat out the Keyblade wielder's name like poison. "Your defeat will come at my hands…or none. I will not betray you should you form an alliance with me but think…alone we are as nothing. But together, we can do the impossible and preserve the status quo that all villains and heroes have in these worlds."

"Form…an alliance?" Sora said, hanging his head slightly and staring at his feet. How could he do that? After all that Maleficent had done…perhaps what she was planning to do. And yet, could they survive the storm if they did not form an alliance? Maleficent sighed loudly, forcing Sora to snap his head back up.

"I understand that this is difficult for you. That is why I will give you until tomorrow morning to come to your decision. When the sun has fully risen from beyond the horizon I shall return with Pete to this very room." Maleficent said and she began to disappear in green flame. "I pray you make the right choice!" And with a cackle and a flash, Maleficent was gone from the chambers. The Keyblades vanished from their wielders' hands and many others put their weapons away. Sora then walked off silently from the room. No one made a move to follow him, knowing that this was his decision to make. A few moments later, Hayner, Olette, Kairi, and all their children made their way out of the war room followed by Mickey, Juthias, Sikaru, Donald and Goofy. Riku was about to leave but Leon called him back.

"Riku!" Leon called out and the silver haired thirty five year old faced him with arched eyebrows. "You have a message from the generals. I'll put it on the viewing screen." Riku nodded curtly and faced the large viewing screen in the room. The image on the screen wavered slightly for a moment before showing five generals on the screen: Antonio, Melissa, Cristophe, Marcus, and Donato.

"What's up you guys?" Riku asked with a smirk. "Last I checked I was busy and I left Antonio in charge. What's the need to contact me?" Antonio was the first to speak out of the entire group.

"There's been a massive Unbirth attack on Halloween Town." Antonio said gravely and Riku nodded his head. Melissa jumped in the fight very soon after this.

"It's the worst that's ever hit there. We have no one stationed on site either so we need to send somebody. Only problem is that it's so bad that-" Riku cut Melissa off quickly with a wave of his hand.

"I get the picture, Melissa." Riku said. "We need to send a general then…Antonio, take an apprentice and go sort out the problem. Return to face as soon as you're finished though." Antonio nodded and quickly bowed out, leaving the remaining generals in the room.

"What of leadership of the Order?" Donato asked, hoping to make sure the Order was safe and secure.

"Melissa, you're in charge. I don't want anything to happen while I'm gone. If I need you guys, I'll call you but don't call me." Everyone saluted and soon after all three of Christophe, Marcus and Donato left the room. Melissa however, remained.

"Something's wrong…" Melissa said quietly. "Even over this transmission I can tell…even if the other generals can't." Riku sighed heavily.

"I'm afraid that the situation has recently become much more serious." Melissa gave him a strange look and he stared her right in the eyes. "Let's just say I found the person we were looking for but in much different circumstances than I thought." Melissa's eyes widened and Riku knew that she understood what was going on.

"What do we do about it?" Melissa asked, hoping that their leader would be able to give some sound advice. Riku looked at her squarely.

"We ride it out. I don't think she's planning anything nasty…but it's difficult to know for sure." Riku told her and she nodded. "Keep an eye on Cothius. There's no telling what he's planning. Remember Melissa, no matter what feelings get in the way, we're at war." With those final ominous words, Riku cancelled the communications and leaned against the large round table in the room. He was tired and could hardly believe that a day ago he was worried about Sikaru's arrogance. What was next?

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Sora was pacing around the courtyard garden in the castle of Radiant Garden. He had a decision to make that only he could truly make. Maleficent had done damage to the worlds; perhaps more than anybody save for Gentai. She had killed Edge twelve years ago, had incinerated Agradar and, had Sora not stopped her, she would have done so much more. And now she was here offering allegiance. Somehow, Sora knew that she held no treachery in her heart. Her power had lessened so much that she was weak and broken…so what would be the harm in it? Sora wanted to kick something thinking about it but thought better of it and was glad he did when there was a soft call from the entrance to the courtyard.

Sora turned to the door that led into the courtyard and saw Gentai standing there, looking in on his father. Sora looked into his son's eyes and saw a blossoming hope and innocence in those eyes that he wished he had. He also saw kindness and a sense of fear. Did he really want his son to live in darkness? If what Maleficent had said was true about Onyx bringing back the darkness then that would be what would happen. Maleficent had said that alone they were weak but together as one they could defeat Onyx was that true. Gentai ambled over to his father and they both sat down on a bench in the garden.

"You okay dad?" Gentai asked of his father and Sora nodded with a smile. Who was he kidding? He had never been one to think things out. It had always just been a constant state of doing things and reacting to the world around him. If things got into his head…he failed. That was always how it was. "Oh, you just looked worried." Sora ruffled his son's hair.

"I'm all right….just thinking." Sora said with a smile before he noticed that Gentai looked nervous about something…and Sora thought he knew what. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…nothing's wrong…" came the hastened reply from his son and Sora gave him a disbelieving look.

"No, you're agitated. It's about Jeanette isn't it?" That caused the eleven year old to squirm slightly. "You really like her, don't you?" Gentai nodded sheepishly. "Well, no dating till your fourteen and…" Sora's words trailed off and Gentai looked at his father confusedly. Sora's mind was racing…His son, his daughter. All he wanted was to protect them. As twins they had always been able to face their shared nightmares because they were together, connected by their hearts. And maybe…just maybe that was what it was meant to be. Because together and connected they could defeat the darkness and keep their children the way they should have lived. Sora smiled brighter and hugged his son before dashing off into the castle, whooping with joy.

"Typical dad…" Gentai sighed out as he watched the figure of his father shrink away. The next morning, after Gentai, Demora, and Jeanette had been sent off to school everyone was gathered in Sora's war chambers to await the arrival of Maleficent and Pete. True to her word, when the sun had finally fully risen she arrived in the room along with Pete.

"Well, Sora, have you reached your decision?" Maleficent said with a glare in her eyes. Sora nodded solemnly and Maleficent's eyes glinted, indicating that she wished to know the Keyblade Master's answer.

"We will form an alliance. Because two hearts are stronger than one even if one is made of darkness." Sora said and Maleficent nodded. "But we won't continue with a deal if you show any kind of treachery. To that end, we'll allow you a council of villains that will meet with a council of heroes. Together, I think we stand a chance against Onyx. I don't know about this 'preserving the status quo' but we won't allow Onyx to rule the worlds."

"Very well then, Sora. I shall visit many worlds and build an army of villains to fight alongside our forces." Maleficent said. "What do you plan to do?"

"That's a good question." Kairi said with a glance to her husband. Sora grinned. He punched in some controls on the table and a hologram shot out of it in the shape of the star map. The star map began rotating around and Sora, Kairi, Riku, Mickey, Leon, Pete, and Maleficent gathered around it.

"We're gonna start by building up an army by going to worlds that aren't part of the Parliament and finding heroes, and villains mind you, to join us in our war." Sora said with confidence, already assuming the role of leader.

"That sounds all well and good…but how will we get to _all_ the worlds?" Riku asked sarcastically and Sora glared at him. Mickey however, was able to pipe his thoughts in.

"Don't worry about that, fellas! I'm gonna go to the Interstellar Academy and have them send out ships before I get goin'!" Everyone nodded at Mickey but Sora had an opinion to voice.

"Sounds good, but I don't like the idea of going alone. I'll take Donald and Goofy and go to this world here." Sora pointed at a small world labeled as Notre Dame on the star map. Donald and Goofy nodded behind the king, to indicate their approval. "They're not part of the Parliament…and come to think of it, I don't think they've ever been contacted."

"What about Radiant Garden?" Leon said, approaching the table upon hearing the words that Sora would be leaving once more. He leaned over and stared at Sora as Riku began to examine the star map along with Kairi and Mickey.

"It's still in your charge. I know Hayner and Olette aren't here but they can take care of Gentai and Demora while we're gone." Sora said authoritatively. "I hope we aren't gone for long but I can't control time. You can handle things, right?" Leon nodded.

"I'll go here with Juthias and Sikaru." Riku said pointing to another world that hadn't been affiliated with the Parliament of Worlds but was marked as visited. Sora nodded but Maleficent took this moment to put her own two cents in.

"If you would Riku, I believe it is only fair that one of my own travels with you. Pete shall accompany you." Maleficent stated and Riku scowled. He didn't like the idea of having to deal with Pete but he nodded his head and accepted it. "Very well…that is all I have to say. Try to bring villains with you and I shall go my own way. I shall know when it is time to meet." Before anyone else could stop her, she disappeared. Now it was Kairi's turn to make a statement.

"I'll go here." Kairi said, indicating a world similar to the one Riku was visiting, and Sora nodded.

"You're not going alone." Sora said and Kairi was about to protest but Sora silenced her. "No arguments, we all travel in groups." Kairi grimaced but agreed and called Mulan over, who readily agreed to help Kairi in her quest. Mickey then indicated his world which Riku had mentioned the Order had presence on but agreed because they were merely there as trainees in magic there.

"So then, I'll get goin' to the Interstellar Academy fellas!" Mickey said and Sora nodded. He walked over to a small drawer and pulled out five handheld consoles that were block and had many buttons on them. He threw them to the leaders of each party.

"Take those. They're communicators. They already have each of the frequencies downloaded so feel free to use them if you need them." Sora said and everybody left in the room nodded. "As for transportation…take the extra large Gummi Ships so we can transport multiple people." Everybody readily agreed to that.

"Then let's move it!" Pete said triumphantly and Riku rolled his eyes. Without a word, that group headed out. Kairi quickly gave her husband a kiss on the cheek and a hug and after Sora assured her that he would be fine, she left with Mulan and Mushu.

"All right, let's get going!" Sora said to Donald and Goofy cheerily. "I call captain's chair."

"Awww, phooey. I call shotgun!" Donald yelled and Goofy just sighed. Sora saluted to the king as he shut down the star map and the trio made their way out of the room. Mickey smiled and summoned his Keyblade. He then opened a portal to where he knew the Interstellar Academy would be.

As he arrived into the entrance of the Interstellar Academy at Montressor Spaceport it was to find many cadet officers milling about. As soon as some of them saw him they bowed immediately but Mickey waved it off and immediately called for one of them to get Admiral Amelia. Moments later, Amelia arrived with another younger man right behind her. The younger man looked familiar to Mickey but he couldn't quite place him.

"Your Majesty, what an unexpected surprise." Amelia said, bowing elegantly to Mickey. "How can I help you today?"

"How ya doin' Amelia…it's sure been a while." Mickey said cheerfully even though he knew this wasn't the time for gab. Amelia nodded, but being the spacer she was, realized there was a time and place for everything so Mickey got down to business. "Look, I don't know if you fellas here have heard but there's trouble brewin'."

"What do you need from us here at the Interstellar Academy?" Amelia asked sincerely and Mickey had an answer ready.

"I need you to send out your fleet. Onyx isn't on to you yet so I need you to go round to a bunch of different worlds and get an army of heroes to bring back to Radiant Garden." Mickey said and Amelia immediately acknowledged that she would happily oblige. But Mickey had another thought on his mind. "In the meantime, I'm headin' to a certain world and I need someone to go with to help me out."

"Someone who's dependable, honest and trustworthy, I presume?" Amelia said with a twinkle in her eye and Mickey nodded. "I know just the man. Captain Hawkins, you will accompany His Majesty." The man from behind Amelia stepped out and Mickey now fully recognized him.

"Jim Hawkins!" Mickey announced happily and Jim nodded. Granted, Jim was very different from how he looked before. His hair was cut now rather than tied in a ponytail and he looked very clean. Granted he was dressed in clothes that seemed to be field-working clothes and were similar to the old clothes he wore. However, holstered to his side was a plasma blaster. Gone was the look of the seventeen year old delinquent with no role model to the look of a twenty nine year old role model. Apparently he had led several successful ship fights against the Unbirths and had been ranked to Captain as a cause of it. Mickey was happy to have Jim along, even on such a dangerous trip.

After a short conversation about sending a lieutenant called Vance to Radiant Garden to prepare the forces and a brief mention of Doppler and Amelia's married life with him, the admiral departed to put the orders into action. In the meantime, Mickey and Jim headed off to the Interstellar Academy's space bay in order to take off on a Gummi Ship to their visiting world. The search for an army had begun.

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Author's Note: Whew…that's a lot for one chapter. Sorry if it was choppy but I wrote this at ten last night. Yes, the alliance is formed as promise and we move out of phase one into phase two. My two important characters, though not exactly stressed here are actually Mulan and Jim Hawkins (which is ironic because their also the only two Disney characters without lines this chapter). However, Jim is more important than Mulan. Let me explain something regarding Gentai since I've had queries put towards me. Gentai had to go crazy in the last installment because otherwise he wouldn't have sacrificed himself and put light in everyone's hearts thus breaking Maleficent's power. Now, I need a good name for the Incredibles world but I'll just say that Hunchback is up first and you have a while to come up with it. It may take me a while to write that chapter though since there's a _**lot**_** I need to do for it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please REVIEW since it's a simple action that people seem to have a hard time doing and by reviewing you may save a continent from collapsing. In any case, please review and Dare to Be Silly.**


	8. Chapter 7: Outcast

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or the Hunchback of Notre Dame.**

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Chapter 7

Outcast

Night in the world of Notre Dame was silent as a man dressed in the robes of a public official stared into the fire that was set in his fireplace in the Palace of Justice. The next day was the festival filled with the slobbering hounds and dancers; scum every one of them. Then there were those _gypsies_. Oh, how the man hated them so much and with a passion. But he lacked the proper army to wipe them out effectively. Certainly there had been whispers of frightening creatures that had the ability to destroy the living and breed on the souls of the dead…but he had never found them, much less figured out how to control them. This man's name was Judge Claude Frollo.

He was the man that, many years ago, found that wretched and repulsive child on the steps of the Notre Dame cathedral and left him with the archdeacon to be the bell ringer. Oh, how he loathed that vile human being as well…that _monster_! And yet, all those years, all that hatred, all that ugliness had begun to eat away at his heart until he started to become so twisted that he hated everything around him. Except for power. Power was the one thing he could taste, consume, and enjoy. Power was what he needed. And power was what came through a light shaped portal that night in the world of Notre Dame. When it happened, Frollo merely thought it was the fire flaring up until the sound of footsteps was heard behind him. He immediately leaped out of his chair to face the intruder to his sanctum to find that a blade as black as night was held at his throat. However, the blade seemed nothing like what a normal blade would look like. For on thing, there were very fancy curved designs that served as a type of hand guard around the handle. Those designs continued up the shaft, snaking in their blue and black fashion up until they hit the very top. The point of it seemed to be shaped like a spear but the blade, oh yes the blade, was a work of art. It seemed at first glance to be a trident but if one looked they could see it was more like the devil's pitchfork. As Frollo looked at the blade he felt a thrill of fear.

"You fear this blade?" came the sneering voice of the owner who had emerged from the portal. Frollo sis not want to answer this man so he settled for a slight jerk of his head. The man, though his features could not be seen, smirked in the darkness. "Good…you should. It holds power you could never understand. However, I hold a power that you could understand."

"Oh, you do, do you?" Frollo asked, at last mustering up his courage to speak. The man stepped forward into the firelight to reveal his black hair and mean expression.

"Yes. My name is Onyx, and I know all that there is to know about you Judge Claude Frollo." Onyx said with smirk and Frollo stepped back slightly, surprised that this man knew his name. "Oh, do not be concerned. I am on your side. I know of your vendetta against the gypsies and I am willing to aid you with my power." He waved his hand and Frollo suddenly felt a great rush of power roll through his body. At first it frightened him, but then it exhilarated him. "I have granted you control of the creatures known as the Unbirths. It may take some time to master their summoning, a few days at most, but once you have…feel free to do with them as you wish."

"Extraordinary power…what is the catch, might I ask?" Frollo asked in his deep voice and Onyx gave a slight snicker.

"Ah yes, I was hoping you might ask." Onyx told him and his face looked downright eerie due to the glow of the fireplace. "There are three travelers who will be arriving at this world. Make sure that they are occupied…better yet, eliminate them." Frollo merely bowed to the man who had given him this newfound power in acceptance of these terms. Onyx simply opened a new portal and stepped into it, leaving Frollo alone with his thoughts, his hatred, and his power.

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The _R.G.S. Star Streaker_ flew through space at warp speed, soon to land on the world called Notre Dame. They had been traveling for nearly a day but that was to be perfectly understandable due to the fact that Notre Dame was well out of range of most of the Parliament worlds. Still, Sora, Donald, and Goofy all had a certain mindset regarding their mission down on the world below. And so, as morning finally arose (or what could be presumed to be morning since they were in space), they found themselves finally orbiting the world of Notre Dame. Donald wanted to go in quietly to the world since "Who knows what Onyx might be up to!" but Sora denied that option saying they should just bust in like they always did. Thus it was that they flicked the switch and soon emerged on the cobblestone streets of Notre Dame.

To Sora, it kind of reminded him of the Marketplace back home on Radiant Garden what with all the hustle and bustle around the street. There was a baker going around selling breads and muffins and Sora was sorely tempted to buy one. But Sora soon felt a tug on the jacket of his mission clothes and looked to see Goofy with a questioning look on his face. Sora looked at him curiously until Goofy voiced the obvious question to all of them.

"So, uh, where do we go?" Goofy asked and Sora scratched the back of his head confusedly. Donald just sighed. That was your typical Sora for you. But Sora waved it off.

"Hey, we always find something to do right, don't we?" Sora said with a quick shrug and his two friends couldn't help but agree with that. Sora then motioned them along the street and they began to move along, looking for some kind of soldiers who could help them in their mission. However, they hadn't gotten far when suddenly they heard angry voices; two males and a female.

"All right gypsy, where'd ya get the money?" one of the voices asked and Sora set off in the direction of the voices.

"For your information, I earned it." the female voice chimed out and Sora figured that the woman was young, judging by the sound of her voice.

"Gypsies don't earn money. They _steal_ it!" the second guard chimed in just as the trio approached the two guards. The woman they were staring down had raven black hair and wore beautiful white clothing with huge gold earrings. Unfortunately, they were so transfixed on the scene before them that they happened to bump into another man who was staring transfixed by the _woman_ in the scene. he was dressed in a blue, slightly worn cloak and had rather messy brown hair. Soon, the woman spoke out again.

"You'd know a lot about stealing!" the woman yelled and Sora was quite tempted to say "burn" but the blue cloaked man stopped him from such. For you see, because they bumped into him he turned around.

"Oh, I'm sorry, was I in your way?" the man asked and Sora looked at him with a smile.

"Nope, not at all. Just trying to watch the scene, see if we could help." Sora said with a shrug of his shoulders, as if brushing the entire matter off.

"Ahhh..." the man let out knowingly. "She's a beauty isn't she?" Sora didn't respond. he already had Kairi, and this woman was only second-rate compared to her. However, in front of them the scene was heating up and the woman was in hot water for her cheeky remark. So, she decided to flee and the guards decide to pursue until, "Achilles, sit!" Sora then noticed the horse next to the man who promptly sat down on one of the guards who yelled for him to get the thing off of him. Sora, Donald, and Goofy immediately began laughing raucously and with great mirth. However, the guard who had not been sat on was completely enraged.

"I'll show you, peasant!" the guard yelled, whipping out a small dagger and Sora immediately responded to summoning his Keyblade into his hand. The man however, that Sora had met merely flicked his cloak aside to reveal shining golden armor and a great shining sword. Sora's eyes widened. he should have known that there was more to this man from the very beginning.

"You were saying, lieutenant?" the man said with a grin and suddenly the guard started fumbling for words.

"C-c-c-captain Phoebus!!" the guard yelled and the man, Phoebus, nodded. The guard saluted and Phoebus leaned in towards the one on the ground.

"Now then...the Palace of Justice?" Suddenly, Achilles the horse lifted his bottom from the soldier and they began to lead the captain towards the Palace of Justice. Sora decided to follow.

"Why?" Donald quickly asked, not wanting to go anywhere without information. Sora dismissed his Keyblade and gave Donald an answer.

"He looks like a soldier and a good swordsman, he can help us." Sora said and he ran to catch up with Phoebus, who immediately recognized him.

"Oh, hello there." Phoebus said with a slightly confused look on his face.

"Hey, Captain Phoebus. My name's Sora!" Sora said and Donald and Goofy also quickly introduced themselves. "I'm the king of Radiant Garden. Maybe you've heard of it, maybe not, but anyway, we're looking for soldiers from a whole bunch of worlds to fight in a battle with us."

"Soldiers, huh?" Phoebus said and Sora nodded, after all, he figured that he should just get straight to the point. "I guess I could help, there may be some soldiers with enough backbone here to actually fight...since you are a king and all. But first I have to find the Palace of Justice."

"Gawrsh, Phoebus, if you're the captain shouldn't you know where it is?" Goofy quickly asked and Phoebus gave a boisterous laugh.

"I've been out of town for a while and they've completely changed the place." Phoebus said with mirth and Sora smiled knowingly. "Ah, that should be it there!" Phoebus pointed to a great white marble structure that certainly did look like a palace more than anything else. The guards soon left the quartet standing at the stairs of the massive palace.

"Hmmm...seems pretty big..." Sora said and Phoebus took a step forward. Suddenly, Unbirths began appearing on the palace steps. Sora immediately summoned his Keyblade and Donald and Goofy both brought out their weapons.

"You know these things?!" Phoebus asked while taking out his sword. Sora just gave a grunt and the four ran into the Unbirths. "I fought against these in the wars, never thought off worlders would know about them..."

"These things are our specialty." Sora said until suddenly a bunch of chimes rang out from his pocket. Sora quickly dug into his pocket and answered his communicator. The face of Riku, with his silver haired visage, appeared on the screen. "Uhh...hey Riku." Sora had said this quite agitatedly and this prompted a very confused look from Riku.

"Are you in the middle of something?" Riku asked concernedly and Sora grinned sheepishly.

"Uhh...yeah, kind of. Donald, it's blizzard, not fire on those kind!" Sora yelled as he saw the court magician cast on a fire spell on a fire-hungry Unbirth.

"I know! I know!" Donald screamed and Riku quirked an eyebrow. Sora saw this and immediately turned to the situation at hand.

"Hurry it up, Riku. What do you want?" Sora said. Riku cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Um, right, our ship was attacked in the middle of the night last night." Riku put bluntly and Sora's full attention was now on Riku with concern, causing Donald and Goofy to cover him.

"Did anyone get hurt...I mean, other than Pete of course?" Sora asked quickly.

"No, everyone's fine...including Pete. But the warp drive was damaged. I'm having Sikaru and Juthias fix it right now and it should be fixed before we land but it will take us a while to get there." Riku quipped his report and Sora nodded.

"Well, that's all right, we should all get there just fine." Sora said with a smile before Donald's voice rang out.

"Sora, hurry up!" Donald yelled out and Sora yelled to him that he was coming. He then said a quick goodbye to Riku and canceled the connection. He ran into the fray, swinging his Keyblade around him and within moments the battle was finished. Sora dismissed his Keyblade and Phoebus put his sword away.

"Those things are really strange..." Phoebus commented and Sora laughed before the captain led them inside the Palace of Justice. They strolled through its marvelous halls and stared at its magnificent architecture before a scream and a cry rang through the halls. Immediately sensing some danger the trio of Sora, Donald, and Goofy raced forward before they heard a cruel voice say something they would never have thought they would hear in such a place of justice.

"Ease up. Wait between lashes or the older sting will dull him to the new." came the voice and Sora summoned Kingdom's Crown with a tiny flick of his fingers. Phoebus himself looked mortified at the sounds issuing forth. Soon, the man who said such words emerged from the adjoining room with his judge's robes and everything. He seemed to notice Phoebus straight away. "Ah, so this is the gallant Captain Phoebus, home from the wars."

"Reporting for duty, sir!" Phoebus said while snapping to attention. Sora however had his anger bubbling.

"What did he do?" Sora demanded through clenched teeth. "You have no right to torture people in such manner." The man, whose name was Frollo, turned to face Sora.

"He was a criminal who had to be punished. And I don't understand exactly what you're doing here peasant." Frollo said in a sneering tone.

"Peasant?! I'm the king of Radiant Garden!" Sora said, holding out his Keyblade and Donald and Goofy stepped in front of him as if to protect him. Frollo looked indifferent.

"So, a prisoner of war?" Frollo added with a quick glance to Phoebus who quickly shook his head.

"Actually sir, Sora here is king of another world and he came seeking help from us. I was thinking we could aid him when we're finished with whatever I am needed back here for." Phoebus said in a friendly morning and Sora beamed at him, glad that he had already made some friends.

"I am the one who will decide on what the soldiers will and will not do. I would have expected a war hero of your caliber to show more of a demonstration of that." Frollo said angrily. "Now come, there is much to discuss about the war on our own turf. Your friends may stand by you later, but for now I must speak to you alone." With that, Frollo led Phoebus away from the trio and onto the ramparts of the Palace of Justice. Sora grimaced.

"I don't like him." Sora said defiantly and Goofy looked at him sympathetically, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Aw, Sora, I know you're probably angry about him not believing you were a king but that's no reason not to like him." Goofy said with concern on his face. Sora shook his head at this statement.

"No…it's not that. Something just seems very off about him." Sora said, placing a finger to his chin, trying to recognize what was wrong about him for what it was. Donald was ready to go into action however.

"Let's go smash him!!" Donald yelled loudly and this time, both the combined strengths of Sora and Goofy were needed to hold the feisty duck back from smashing Frollo's head in. After a few minutes of restraining their now struggling friend a door slammed and both Frollo and Phoebus emerged. Frollo paid no heed to the trio but Phoebus stopped near them.

"We're going to the festival. You could come with if you like, Sora." Phoebus said. Of course, by stating Sora's name he truly meant all three.

"Oh boy! A festival!!" Donald yelled enthusiastically and they all began to walk with Phoebus out of the Palace of Justice and into the streets below, where Frollo himself was being loaded into a carriage. Sora turned to Phoebus with a look of curiosity on his face.

"So, what did that guy ask you to do?" Sora inquired of his new friend and Phoebus turned to him. He bent down to the king of Radiant Garden and gave him an answer in very hushed tones.

"Frollo was talking about a war here in Paris: the war against the gypsies. He believes they have a sort of base called the Court of Miracles and he's determined to find it." Sora shook his head in disbelief from the answer. He knew Frollo was a bad egg the moment he had met him but this guy was _prejudiced_. Sora could only imagine how far that was going to take him. Still, there was no need to concern themselves with that at the moment for they were approaching the sounds of the festival. Sora had not been to a festival often and seeing this made him think of possibly instating one in Radiant Garden when this battle was over. As the group arrived in the square they saw many dancers including a man dressed in festive purple and yellow all over himself. He was dancing and singing something about "Topsy-turvy day". Soon enough, they all stopped and set themselves up near Frollo who was nowhere near happy to have them near him, or to be in the presence of such a debacle.

"Wow…" Donald breathed out next to Sora as the colorful man through down some pellets and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Out of it appeared a woman…the same woman that Phoebus had saved in the market earlier. She danced around on top of the square and even came near Frollo. Sora stepped aside as she wrapped her handkerchief around Frollo's neck. For a moment, it seemed to Sora that she knew she was being flirtatious with him…and yet she didn't really enjoy it. But Frollo did, he could tell by the gleam of lust in his eye. Sora shook that thought from his head as the woman drew away; had he matured so much in the past twelve years that he could sense when things were off, or detect feelings in people that he couldn't prove existed? It didn't matter. Suddenly there was a cry from the crowd.

"It's time to crown the king of fools!" yelled the colorful man and he jumped up and down. The woman now began dancing around and removing masks from many of the people in the crowd. Sora thought it was interesting and a little comical until at last they reached a man who had a slight hump on his back. The woman tried to pull it off but it wouldn't budge. Sora was the first to realize that it wasn't a mask but the person's face…but he was kind enough not to say anything. As everyone else began to realize there began a cry until somebody yelled loudly:

"It's the bell ringer from Notre Dame!!" cried the voice and a bigger outcry began until the colorful man stepped in front.

"Ladies and gentlemen, don't panic!" he introduced. "We asked for the ugliest face in Paris and here it is: Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre Dame!" Everyone suddenly began to sing and dance with Quasimodo but it soon was turning into a mocking fest which turned Sora's stomach.

"You think he's ugly now? Watch this!" yelled a guard standing near Sora and he watched in horror as the guard hurled a tomato at Quasimodo. Suddenly everyone began to throw produce at them. Once again, Sora found himself losing control and his Keyblade was called back to his hand. Even Donald was enraged himself.

"Oh yeah! Take this!" Donald yelled and with a wave of his staff, some of the tomatoes flew back and hit the guards square in their eyes. They screeched in pain and jumped off the stage. However, by now it was making no difference because they had lassoed Quasimodo and tied him down. Then the throwings got even fiercer. Quasimodo then cried out in pain for his master, which the trio could only surmise was Frollo. Sora couldn't take it and so, to save the man, he erected a reflect shield around him. Suddenly, the woman from before knelt down next to Quasimodo.

"I'm sorry…this wasn't supposed to happen." she said and Sora was sincerely hoping she would cut him loose. Phoebus turned to Frollo.

"Permission to stop this cruelty?" Phoebus asked but Frollo smirked.

"Just a moment Captain, a lesson needs to be learned here." Frollo said with calculating coldness. Sora and Donald quickly rounded on the judge.

"What lesson?!" Sora yelled loudly and almost the whole square could here. "There's no lesson to be learned here. He needs help and you stand here like you're some saint while you do nothing!"

"You're the one who needs to learn a lesson!" Donald said, and he prepared to cast a fire spell before Frollo suddenly stood up.

"You! Gypsy girl, get down at once!" Frollo yelled and Sora turned to see that the woman was holding a knife in her hand.

"Yes your honor, just as soon as I free this poor creature." the woman said and Frollo jumped out to forbid it but the woman had already cut loose the bonds on Quasimodo's form.

"How dare you defy me!" Frollo yelled in anger but stepped back when he saw Sora's Keyblade at his throat.

"Let the woman do what she wants." Sora said with a sneer. "Scared of me now?" Goofy even held his shield out menacingly at the man. This gave the woman a chance to talk.

"You mistreat this poor boy the same way you mistreat my people. You speak of justice and yet you are cruel to those who are most in need!" the woman yelled and Frollo was palpitating now.

"Silence!" he screamed in rage.

"Justice!" the woman countered. "If you refuse to see what's right in front of you then we've crowned the wrong fool. The only fool I see is you!"

"Captain Phoebus, arrest her!" Frollo demanded and Phoebus moved off to motion at his guards, however unwillingly. That made Sora decide that he was clearly not a threat. The woman herself backed up in mock fear before disappearing in a flash of smoke. Sora soon saw her running but Goofy was the first to make a comment.

"That way, fellers!" Goofy yelled out and Sora nodded. The trio were the first ones after her, followed by Phoebus and a contingent of guards. The woman rounded a corner in her mad dash. Sora saw that a goat was with the woman, clearing a path for her. The goat soon let loose some barrels that came rolling down after them. Sora dodged out of the way and pulled his friends away from the rolling barrels. This gave them the chance to escape the next action of the woman as she took a helmet and sent it flying like a Frisbee. It knocked out a great number of the guards and nearly chopped Phoebus' head off. Sora chuckled when he saw that Phoebus was impressed by this attack.

The four of them continued pursuit after the woman until Sora saw rising before him a great big cathedral. He gasped when he saw it. This thing was almost bigger than the castle at Radiant Garden. Even Goofy let out a low whistle as the four watched the woman run up the steps. They proceeded up the steps as rain began to suddenly pour upon them but they paid no attention to it as they entered the cathedral known as Notre Dame. Esmeralda was walking slowly along the halls and the crew sneaked up behind her. But as Sora suspected, she was not easily tricked and she whipped around, taking Phoebus' sword from him and holding it at him.

"You!" the woman exclaimed. Phoebus threw his hands up and the woman glared at him with venom.

"All right, all right, easy there. I just came here to apologize with my friends." Phoebus said, motioning toward the trio.

"They tried to help me. And what could you apologize for?" the woman asked sneeringly.

"This." Phoebus quickly stole his sword back from her. She seemed about to swear but Phoebus warned her "Ahh-ah-ah, we're in a church."

"Are you always this charming, or am I just lucky?" the woman said with a bit of sarcasm. She quickly grabbed a staff with candles on top of it and swung at Phoebus who blocked the blow. While the two traded blows, Sora stood watching it with a snicker on his face.

"Ooh…candlelight…privacy…and that faint music I here…I gotta fight Kairi like this back home, cause I can't think of a better place to fight." Sora said with the utmost humor.

"You fight almost as well as a man!" Phoebus yelled out and the woman retorted with a quick" Funny I was going to say the same about you." She aimed a blow for her crotch but he blocked it. She then came up quickly and hit him in the face. Phoebus shook it off, but without warning (not even Sora, Donald, and Goofy noticed it), he was butted from behind by the goat. "I didn't realize you had a kid!"

"Well, he doesn't take kindly to soldiers." the woman sneered at him and he nodded his head a bit.

"I noticed." he said before standing up. "I'm Phoebus. And you are?" The woman looked extremely wary for a moment but when she looked around the place and her eyes locked on Sora she somehow knew she was safe.

"Esmeralda. You're not arresting me?" the woman, Esmeralda, answered.

"Not while you're in here." Phoebus said with a gleam in his eyes and they both stared into each other's eyes for a moment before there was a clatter and Sora saw Frollo appearing with some guards. Frollo looked simply overjoyed to see Phoebus apparently cornering Esmeralda.

"Good work captain, now arrest her." Frollo said with a sneer and Sora, Donald, and Goofy all stepped forward to bar Frollo's path. Then they heard a brief exchange between Phoebus and Esmeralda.

"Claim sanctuary." Phoebus commanded of the gypsy.

"You tricked me!" Esmeralda whispered harshly and so Phoebus made a split-second decision.

"I'm sorry, sir. She's claimed sanctuary, there's nothing I can do." Phoebus said and Frollo's sneer quickly turned into a snarl.

"Then drag her outside at-" But Frollo's harsh words were cut off by a new player to enter the scene as he came down from the steps. He seemed elderly and Sora could only guess that he was in charge of the cathedral.

"Frollo! You will not touch her!" the man cried as he approached Esmeralda. "Don't worry miss. Minister Frollo learned years ago to respect the sanctity of the church, and he's learned recently not to let those foul creatures enter either." Frollo leered at the man as Sora gasped, something clicking in his brain that Frollo must have learned to control the Unbirths, and then Frollo motioned for the guards to move out of the church. Phoebus left with them, albeit in a disgruntled fashion, and Esmeralda turned away but soon Frollo lashed out and grabbed her arm.

"You think you have outwitted me but I am a patient man and gypsies don't do well inside stone walls." Frollo said before he quickly sniffed her hair. Sora gave a very visible shudder and it seemed that even Esmeralda did so.

"I know what you're doing." she stated knowingly and Frollo chuckled.

"Clever, just like your kind. Making up lies that come nowhere near the truth. You've chosen a prison no matter what, and one step outside and you're mine." Frollo said and with that he walked away. Sora, Donald, and Goofy however remained.

"I think we should stay here guys." Sora said quickly and Donald nodded.

"Right…that Frollo guy probably doesn't like us." Goofy stated and Sora nodded in acknowledgement. Sora noticed Esmeralda walking away and he quickly ran up to her.

"Hey, I just wanted to say, you were awesome for standing up to that guy today." Sora said, extending a hand to her. "It wasn't right what they did to the poor guy. I'm Sora by the way."

"Nice to meet you." Esmeralda said solemnly. "That's true…it wasn't right…but we can't change the world or all the problems in it."

"I think you can, if you work at it enough." Sora said with a shrug before everyone caught a glimpse of someone they had seen before and someone cried out it was Quasimodo. At once, Esmeralda took off after the form of Quasimodo. The trio pursued and quickly overtook her, stumbling up the stairs after the hunchback. Soon, slightly fatigued from their day's work they reached an open area where Quasimodo was talking with some gargoyles.

"Look, you've got friends with you!" yelled a distinctly female voice and Sora, Donald and Goofy froze. The gargoyles were _talking_! The only gargoyles Sora had ever known before were the Heartless so this came as a shock to him. They quickly ran in and the gargoyles froze for a moment.

"Oh that's not good, they saw us." said a rather skinny male gargoyle. Quasimodo quickly turned in fright to them.

"Hey, it's all right, we're used to stranger stuff." Sora assured them and Quasimodo backed away.

"As long as you're not Heartless!" Donald said, leaning in towards a particularly fat gargoyle. The gargoyles slapped the duck across the face and he yelped in pain.

"We don't even know what those are buddy, now back off!" the gargoyle said. "Look, I got a name and it's Hugo. That's Victor and Laverne so call us by that." Sora and Goofy laughed at Donald's discomfort. But suddenly, more footsteps broke up the party as the gargoyles turned to stone and Esmeralda emerged.

"There you are…" Esmeralda panted out. "Look, I'm really sorry about this afternoon. I had no idea who you-wait!" Quasimodo had taken off once again and the quartet gave pursuit quickly. Eventually they reached the top and saw a magnificent room. "What is this place?"  
"This is my room…my home." Quasimodo said ashamedly and Goofy ambled over to the table where a bunch of figurines were placed about.

"Gawrsh, these sure are beautiful. Did you make these yourself?" Goofy asked but Quasimodo snatched the figurine that Goofy had picked up out of his hands.

"They're not finished yet." Quasimodo snapped and Goofy stepped back.

"It must be nice having this place to yourself." Sora commented and Quasimodo turned to him.

"Well, I'm not really by myself. I have the gargoyles and the bells…Would you guys like to see them?" Quasimodo asked and all four let out an affirmative. So, Quasimodo led them to the very turrets of Notre Dame and showed them all of the bells. All four of them were simply in awe and Esmeralda mentioned that not even a king could have such a great view. Sora, ironically, agreed.

"This is so beautiful…I could stay here forever…" Esmeralda sighed out in content and Sora agreed.

"You could you know." Quasimodo offered kindly but Esmeralda just sighed.

"No I couldn't…there's no freedom." Esmeralda said. "Gypsies don't do well inside stone walls."

"Kind of reminds you a bit of Jack, huh?" Sora asked Donald and Goofy quickly, remembering the pirate who wanted freedom above all else. Sora also remembered Zack Fair, the man he had met in Olympus Coliseum that had died as compensation for freedom. That was what this was all about wasn't it: freedom. Freedom from treachery, and freedom from darkness.

"But you're not like other gypsies…They're evil." Quasimodo stated and Sora arched an eyebrow at this new development.

"Who told you that?" Esmeralda inquired.

"My master…Frollo. He raised me. He took me in and raised me when no one else would. I'm a monster you know." Quasimodo said, slightly crestfallen.

"No you're not!" Sora yelled out. Both Quasimodo and Esmeralda turned to look at him. "Look, you're a human like everyone of us. Your hands are the same as ours, you feet are the same as ours. You talk like us, think like us. You're one of us."

"But I have this hump on my back…I must be a monster." Quasimodo said sadly.

"Nuh-uh!" Donald refuted. "It's what's in your heart!"

"Donald's right!" Sora agreed with his friend. "I don't see a hump. I see a kind man who is no different than the rest of us. Look…" Sora ambled over to Quasimodo and took his hand and looked in his eyes with kindness. "I used to know a man who looked like an actual beast with fur and everything…but in the end, it was what remained in his heart that mattered. So, it's not about the outside, but the inside!" Quasimodo looked absolutely taken aback.

"I-I've never been looked at as a person before. You are the only one to see me that way." Quasimodo said with a sense of happiness and Sora smiled at the man. Then Esmeralda bent down next to Quasimodo.

"And do you think I'm evil?" Esmeralda asked with her own smile, her own heart aglow at Sora's kind words.

"No-no, you're kind and good and-" Quasimodo began to stumble through but Esmeralda finished his sentence.

"And a gypsy. So, maybe Frollo's wrong about the both of us." Esmeralda suggested. "Now, Quasimodo, is it, is there a way down from here and out of the cathedral."

"I could probably get us out…but I don't want to hurt to many people and there are guards watching every entrance and exit from this place." Sora said sheepishly and Donald sighed.

"There is if you follow me. We can climb down." Esmeralda nodded and Quasimodo picked her up. Sora just said that they'd stay up here since this had a great view of the city and they could probably do what they needed to by looking from up here. Quasimodo soon began climbing down and watching Esmeralda with her goat, being carried down to the bottom. Soon, they were almost out of sight. Sora turned around and away only to be faced with Phoebus. He gave a slight scream.

"Geez, Phoebus, you scared me half to death!" Sora exclaimed. Phoebus quickly apologized.

"I was looking for Esmeralda…you know where she is?" Phoebus asked. Sora arched an eyebrow at him, but realized his intentions were completely pure in this matter. So he was about to tell him when Quasimodo appeared. He roared in rage and pulled a torch from a nearby bracket.

"No soldiers! Sanctuary! Get out!" Quasimodo yelled out.

"Hey, it's okay! Phoebus is okay, he's like one of us!" Sora yelled out quickly but to no avail as Quasimodo was not about to give in as he hit Phoebus with the bracket and pinned him up against the wall. Phoebus quickly breathed in.

"Look, I just wanted to tell Esmeralda that I didn't mean to trap her here…but it was the only way to save her." Phoebus said quickly. "Will you tell her that for me?"

"If you get out! Now!" Quasimodo released Phoebus and the captain stumbled away. Sora watched him go worriedly.

"You didn't have to do that…" Sora said.

"I did, Esmeralda trusted me." Quasimodo responded and he pulled out a small talisman. "She told me if I ever wanted to leave here that with this band I hold the city in my hand."

"Yeah…but Phoebus is okay." Sora told him but Quasimodo ignored him and walked away. "Well, this whole situation just sucks, doesn't it?"

"It sure does!" Donald responded with a nod of his head.

"So, uh, what do we do?" Goofy asked and Sora thought about this a moment.

"That Frollo guy has slight control over the Unbirths…I think. I don't trust him, but I trust Phoebus. Who knows what could happen to him if he disobeys Frollo." Sora sat down a bit to rest his legs. He cricked his neck around a bit. "I'm gonna go and make sure Phoebus is kept safe. I want you guys to stay here while I go make sure Phoebus is okay."

"Hey! We can fight too, ya know!" Donald protested but Sora held his hands in front of his face.

"Look, Donald, I'm not denying your abilities to fight in the slightest, you know that." Sora said in defense of himself and Donald just crossed his arms and glared at his friend.

"Aww…Sora, I don't like the idea of us splitting up." Goofy said with worry etched onto every line of his dog-like face. Sora nodded his head a bit.

"I don't like the idea anymore than you do Goofy. But it needs to be done. You can keep an eye on Quasimodo. If Frollo's his master then maybe we can dig some dirt on the guy." Sora said with a shrug of his shoulders. "But he, Esmeralda, and Phoebus seem like the only ones we can trust here so we need to protect them. There's something bigger going on here than just a gypsy-vendetta…and I'm gonna figure it out. Not to mention, if it comes to running and hiding with the two of them, it'll be easier to hide a group of three rather than five." Donald glared a moment longer before letting out a huge sigh.

"How can we argue with that?" Donald asked while shrugging his shoulders. "All right, we'll take care of things here. Good luck, Sora." Sora gave him a high five and nodded to Goofy before he raced out onto the ramparts and jumped off them, thinking his happiest thought and gliding down quietly to the city streets. He landed silently and quickly ducked into a corner as some guards ran past, looking for the gypsy girl. Sora grimaced and began to sneak away through the streets. He didn't know exactly where he could look for Phoebus but he was determined to find him. As he approached the outskirts of the city he quickly got his clue.

There was a large plume of smoke rising from the east and Sora knew it could only mean one thing: fire. He wasn't particularly sure that Phoebus was there but he knew that something was going on down there and most likely, at least Frollo was in the thick of it. Sora immediately beat feet for that area as fast as he could, hoping to get there before any damage could be done. When he finally arrived at the burning building he saw it was a burning farm. Sora quickly summoned his Keyblade and doused the fire. Unfortunately, all that was left in the house were the charred remains of its inhabitants. Sora's anger began coming through and he was ready to beat the pulp out of Frollo but repressed that emotion, and instead followed the horse tracks left behind. It wasn't very long before he approached an unburned house were Frollo, Phoebus, and some other soldiers were sitting on horses, talking to people in the house.

"We found this gypsy talisman on your property." came Frollo's wicked voice from up ahead. "Have you been harboring gypsies?"

"Our home is always open to the weary traveler. Have mercy, my lord." the miller replied and Sora wanted to snort. The likelihood of this Frollo showing mercy was about as much as Donald _not_ losing his temper. Soon, Frollo spoke again.

"I am placing you and your family under house arrest until this is sorted out. If what you say is true, you are innocent and have nothing to fear." Frollo said and Sora could almost feel the dark hatred emanating from the man's body.

"But we are innocent! We know nothing of these gypsies, I assure you!" the miller yelled and Frollo merely turned away and towards Phoebus.

"Burn it." Frollo commanded simply and Sora increased his speed towards the wicked judge while remaining silent. "Until it smolders. These people are traitors and must be made examples of." Frollo handed the captain of the guards a burning torch.

"With all due respect," Phoebus began to say, his own face practically matching that of Sora's. "I was not trained to murder innocent people."

"But you were trained to follow orders." Frollo said with a flash of his eyes, indicating that he would not tolerate insubordination. Phoebus dismounted from his horse and took the torch from Frollo before tossing it in a bucket of water. "Insolent coward." Frollo immediately turned around a grabbed another torch, throwing it at the windmill. The windmill's propellers were immediately set alight. Phoebus jumped inside the house as Sora quickly approached. With a flick of his Keyblade and tried putting out the flames but they had already spread far enough that it mattered not. Phoebus at last jumped out of the house with the family in his hands. Suddenly the guards jumped Phoebus and grabbed him.

"The sentence for insubordination is death." Frollo stated with malice. "Such a pity. You threw away such a promising career."

"Consider it my highest honor, sir." Phoebus said, practically spitting at the man. Frollo grabbed a spear and prepared to kill the captain when suddenly Sora rushed in and swiped the spear out of Frollo's hands with his Keyblade. The spear landed harmlessly on the ground far away from Frollo. Frollo quickly turned around.

"Phoebus, run!" Sora commanded and Phoebus, with insurmountable strength, threw the guards off of him and began to flee. Frollo quickly ordered for the men to shoot him down but Sora quickly kicked Frollo off the horse. Frollo whipped around as he saw the Keyblade at his throat.

"Care to stop this treasonous behavior against me, _Your Honor_?" Sora asked, his tone oozing with sarcasm on the last two words.

"You are no king of mine." Frollo spat and Sora arched an eyebrow at him. Frollo held his hand up and Sora's gaze directed him to only five Unbirths forming behind him.

"Only five…weak stuff dude." Sora whipped around and with a slice of his Keyblade they were already gone. Frollo's eyes widened in shock but then a scream pierced through the air. Sora turned to see Phoebus falling off of a bridge and into the water below. Sora ditched Frollo and ran for Phoebus, diving in after his body. He briefly heard Frollo yell something about not wasting their fire on him or Phoebus but instead finding the gypsy girl. Sora increased his swimming. It was a good thing that they had Genie put in those swimming pools or Sora figured he would never have been able to keep up with Phoebus' floating body. At last he got a hold on Phoebus legs and worked his way up to grab his neck and started pulling him to the shore. After a few minutes he finally managed to pull the captain to the shore.

Suddenly, Sora felt a presence behind him and he got up quickly and faced Esmeralda who was standing there. She said nothing but quickly ambled over to Phoebus and began checking him for life, while pulling out the arrow embedded in him. Sora took this opportunity to dry his clothes off. He deal with making them smell nice later, but there were more pressing matters at hand. Esmeralda turned to him.

"I saw what happened. You both should be dead." Esmeralda said with utmost shock.

"Champion Blitzball player. I know how to hold my breath under water, but what about Phoebus?" Sora asked, worried for his friend.

"He'll be fine but we need to get him somewhere safe." Esmeralda said. "I can tend to his wounds there." Sora nodded thoughtfully.

"Notre Dame." Sora immediately scooped up Phoebus' body and the two began to move quickly and silently back to the cathedral. Esmeralda decided to strike up a small conversation with the king of Radiant Garden as they ran through the burning streets of Paris.

"You know, I heard talk in the town that you were a king…but you don't seem like any public official I've met." Esmeralda said, wiping the beading sweat from Phoebus' forehead as it seemed a fever might claim him. Sora grimaced.

"I'm from another world. Me, Donald, and Goofy came here trying to build an army. We didn't think we'd be caught in war here. There are enough wars." Sora said with a hint of sadness.

"You know, I think you're all right Sora. You're not prejudiced against anybody…I suppose, if there are other worlds like you say, then it needs more people like you." Esmeralda said kindly with a smile and Sora smiled back at her.

"Then it needs people like you, Phoebus, and Quasimodo too." Sora said. And that was the last bit of dialogue spoken between the two of them before they sneaked past the guards and into Notre Dame. They began to climb the stairs and soon reached the area above where Quasimodo was (assumedly) chatting with the gargoyles, Donald, and Goofy. Esmeralda entered in first.

"Quasi? Quasimodo?" Esmeralda said and Quasimodo turned to the three emerging figures. Donald and Goofy cried out in surprise when they saw Sora carrying Phoebus' body.

"Esmeralda! You're all right! I knew you'd come back!" Quasimodo cried out and Esmeralda seemed to nod wearily.

"You've done so much for me already my friend, but I must ask for your help one more time." Esmeralda said and Sora lowered Phoebus down onto the floor. "This is Phoebus. He's wounded and a fugitive like me. He can't go on much longer. I knew he'd be safe here. Please, can you hide him?" Quasimodo acceded to this. Sora picked Phoebus up again and they followed Quasimodo to his bed where they at last laid Phoebus down. Phoebus moaned slightly and awoke, seeing Esmeralda and Sora above him.

"Esmeralda? Sora?" Sora beamed but Esmeralda just shushed him. Sora figured that it was best that he leave Esmeralda to helping Phoebus while he rejoined his friends.

"What happened out there?" Donald quacked out.

"I think Frollo's a much bigger threat than I thought." Sora said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I'm sorry guys. When I picked this world I'd no idea we'd be entering into a mini-war."

"It's okay Sora! We're friends and we always stick together no matter what!" Goofy said proudly and Sora smiled. Suddenly a sharp outcry of pain came from Phoebus and it appeared that Esmeralda had just poured wine on his wound.

"That family owes you their lives." Esmeralda told the captain…or rather, ex-captain. "You're either the single bravest soldier I've ever seen or the craziest."

"Ex-soldier, remember?" Phoebus chuckled a little bit. "Why is it, whenever we meet, I end up bleeding?"

"You're lucky. That arrow almost pierced your heart." Esmeralda said concernedly.

"I'm not so sure it didn't." Phoebus replied with humor in his voice. Suddenly the two moved closer and began to kiss. Quasimodo turned away ashamedly. Sora somehow felt the man's pain and he figured something had gone down here while he was away.

"Wak! Frollo's coming!" Donald yelled and Sora, Goofy, and Quasimodo rushed over to the window as Djali the goat began beating excitedly. Sora hadn't noticed at all that the goat had followed them here this whole time. Quasimodo quickly turned to Esmeralda.

"Frollo's coming. Quick, you must leave. Go down the south tower steps." Quasimodo ordered her. Esmeralda turned to him.

"Be careful, my friend. promise you wont' let anything happen to him." Esmeralda asked and Quasimodo promised and Esmeralda quickly fled the scene. Djali followed her out. Suddenly the gargoyles came back to life and Sora jumped.

"Quick, we gotta stash the stiff!" Laverne exclaimed. Sora grabbed Phoebus who was unconscious again and Quasimodo ordered them under the table while the gargoyles hopped outside onto the turrets, Donald and Goofy followed them while Sora shoved in with Phoebus under the table again. There was a clattering above them on the table and then footsteps before the door slammed open and Quasimodo spoke.

"Oh, master. I didn't think you'd be coming-" Quasimodo began but Frollo cut across him.

"I'm never too busy to share a meal with you, my boy. I brought you a little treat." Frollo said while something was being placed on the table. Sora noticed that Phoebus was coming to and he could only hope that the captain would keep his moth shut. Quasimodo moved off and began clattering around. There was the crash of some dinnerware breaking. "Is something troubling you, Quasimodo?" _He knows_, Sora thought to himself.

"No. No!" Quasimodo assured his master and Sora found himself silently praying that Frollo wouldn't discover them.

"Oh but there is. I know there is." His voice had taken on a very silky tone and very devious as he tried to wheedle information out of Quasimodo is. "I think you're hiding something."

"Oh no master, there's nothing-" But again, Frollo did not care that Quasimodo was speaking.

"You're not eating boy." Frollo said and it seemed that Quasimodo began to eat. Phoebus came to at last and moaned loudly. Sora quickly covered his mouth to shut him up as Quasimodo moaned above to cover up the noise. Phoebus then sighed between Sora's fingers and Quasimodo kicked him, knocking him out and hurting Sora's hand. Sora waved his hand around a bit to dull the pain. Quasimodo coughed at that moment to cover that one up and blamed it on seeds. "What's different in here?"

"Nothing, sir." Quasimodo stated innocently, but it seemed that Frollo had indeed found something that was different.

"Isn't this one new? It looks awfully good, very much like the gypsy girl I know." Soon after, Frollo's voice rose to unprecedented heights. "You helped her escape!"

"But I-" Quasimodo began but Frollo was in a rage and he no longer cared.

"And now, all of Paris is burning thanks to you!" Frollo yelled. Quasimodo mumbled something about her being nice to him but Frollo was seething. There was a large smashing noise and it seemed that Frollo had smashed the figurines across the table. "That wasn't kindness, it was cunning! She's a gypsy! Gypsies are not capable of real love! Think boy, think of your mother!" And there was a new piece of information…Quasimodo's mother had been a gypsy and Frollo knew her. But Sora could feel the state of Frollo's heart and he knew that this man had lied and deceived the kind hunchback before him. When Frollo next spoke, it was calmer. "But what chance could a poor, misshapen child like you stand against her treachery? Well, never you mind Quasimodo. She will be out of our lives soon enough. I will free you from her evil spell, she shall torment you no longer."

"What do you mean?" Quasimodo asked, almost fearfully.

"I know where her hideout is, and in a few days I will strike with my army of men and creatures alike." With those ominous hanging words, Frollo left. Phoebus awoke and Sora climbed out from under the table, Phoebus following him.

"We have to find the Court of Miracles!" Phoebus said with determination. "If Frollo musters up his army…are you coming with me?" Phoebus turned to all of them, including Donald and Goofy who had just snuck back in.

"I can't." Quasimodo said dejectedly and Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked at him in surprise.

"I thought Esmeralda was your friend?" Phoebus spat.

"Frollo's my master. I can't disobey him again." Quasimodo said. Phoebus scoffed.

"She stood up for you…You've got a funny way of showing gratitude." There was a silence as they stood there staring at Quasimodo. "Well, I'm not going to sit by and watch Frollo massacre innocent people. You do what you think is right." With that, Phoebus left, with not even a glance to Sora. The gargoyles entered in the room and Quasimodo looked at them.

"What am I supposed to do?" Quasimodo demanded of all of them. "Go out there and rescue the girl from the jaws of death and the town will cheer like I'm some sort of hero? She already has her knight in shining armor, and it's not me. Frollo was right. Frollo was right about everything. I'm tried of being someone who I'm not."

"Shut up!" Sora yelled and everyone looked at him in shock. "Just shut up! Is that all you care about? What other people think? Quasimodo, you know what's right. It doesn't matter if you get the girl. You have a dream to be accepted, right. Well, even if the people don't accept you, at least _you_ can feel like a hero inside and that's good enough. So don't throw away a small chance of happiness." There was silence that pervaded the room. Laverne then handed Quasimodo the coat.

"I must be out of my mind." He took the coat and the four of them left, sliding down to where Phoebus was. "Phoebus, we're coming with you!"

"I'm glad you changed your mind." Phoebus said with a nod of his head.

"I'm not doing it for you; I'm doing it for her." Quasimodo then quickly took out the talisman he had received earlier that evening. "I don't know where she is, but she said this would help us find her.

"Ummm…what does it do?" Sora asked with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Looks like Arabic…maybe Greek…" Phoebus began conjecturing on what the small talisman could be.

"When you wear this woven band, you hold the city in your hand." Quasimodo whispered to himself and then, more audibly, "It's a map!" Phoebus looked surprised and then the two quickly began to argue over it being a map or not.

"Oh, just decide already!" Sora yelled out and they froze. Phoebus was the one that gave in.

"All right, okay, it's a map. If we're going to find Esmeralda we have to work together. Truce?" Phoebus asked while slapping Quasimodo on the back with a smile. Quasimodo agreed before slapping Phoebus on the back who winced in pain. Quasimodo apologized but Phoebus responded with a "No, you're not." Thus, the group of five darted through the darkened city, following Quasimodo's direction from the map until they reached a creepy graveyard and approached a tombstone. Sora wasn't sure how they'd ever find the Court of Miracles from here. But Quasimodo pushed aside the gravestone to reveal some stairs. They all went down the stairs, Phoebus lighting a torch as they went.

"Is this the Court of Miracles?" Donald complained, unimpressed with where they were.

"I'd say it's more like the Court of Ankle Deep Sewage…must be the old catacombs." Phoebus said with some wit in his voice and Sora rolled his eyes. "Cheerful place isn't it? Kind of makes you wish you got out more often, eh, Quasi?"

"Not really…I don't want any more trouble." Quasimodo stated and that made Sora think.

"Speaking of trouble…shouldn't we have ran into some kind of guard or booby trap or an…" Sora's words were cut short when their flame suddenly blew our. "You know, or an ambush." Suddenly lights blazed on all around them and the group was suddenly forced to their knees from behind. Sora looked up and saw the colorful man from earlier at the festival arrived but he noticed something different: the man had been wearing a mask before but was not now.

"Well, well, well, what have we here? Trespassers! Spies!" the man said with a malicious chuckle. "You're all very clever to have found our hideaway. Unfortunately, you won't live to tell the tale."

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Author's Note: Whew…that was long! Sorry it took a while for me to update but I've been playing Crisis Core and this chapter took a while to write…and well worth it I think too! I hope you enjoyed it. You may notice that Sora's speech is a bit more eloquent but that's only from his time as a king (other than that I try not to change him too much). The cliffhanger won't be resolved for a while so hang in there. Next we go to that secret world I promised you so get your guesses in. I probably won't update till at the least Friday but probably not till Monday on account of the fact that it will be very long. Please review, whether you like or not, and Dare to Be Silly.


	9. Chapter 8: The Original Edge

**DISCLAIMER: I, in no way, shape or form, own Kingdom Hearts. Nor do I own Final Fantasy IV or any reincarnations of that game such as the one for the PlayStation, the Gameboy Advance or the Nintendo DS. I do not own those characters that plot nor do I own the crystals within the plot. Furthermore, the only thing I do own are a couple OCs in the chapter that may or may not play an important role.**

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Chapter 8

The Original Edge

Jim Hawkins was the one that piloted the ship out of the Interstellar Academy on their route to the world that Mickey had indicated on the star charts. As they flew through space Mickey struck up a conversation with Jim regarding his time in the Interstellar Academy. Apparently, when the _H.R.M.S. Legacy_ left Disney Castle twelve years they had returned home and Amelia had offered Jim a place in the Interstellar Academy. Per Sora's advice, Jim took the position. His natural ability with solar surfers and the credentials that he had on the mission and journey to Treasure Planet instantly began having him ascend the ranks. His biggest breakthrough however, came the defense of the world of Deep Jungle where millions of Unbirths came and besieged the place for some odd reason. The odds were against them in that battle but Jim pulled it off, leading his small platoon to end up crushing the opposition due to a maneuver of his. For this reason, they named him captain and he was even able to make suggestions for other captains such as Lieutenant Emily Vance who was under him at the time.

In fact, Jim had come so far that they had put him on the Spacer's Board, who, at twenty nine was the youngest member to ever be elected to that board. Mickey was quite astonished by all that Jim had received and done. He already had fifteen medals and they were even considering replacing Amelia with him as admiral when she eventually retired which Jim joked with the king as being "five million years from now". All in all, the two had a very amiable conversation. Jim had asked how Sora was doing and Mickey replied that he was doing just fine. Soon, their sensors indicated that they were approaching their destination and Jim quickly killed the engine aboard the _I.A.S. Beacon_ before they approached the beaming area. Jim made sure he had his plasma gun attached to his holster on his hip and he made sure that everything on him was set. With that, Jim beamed the two of them down to the planet.

When they emerged onto the new world they found they were at a grassy plain with many mountains to the north of their location and a town that was situated at the foot of these mountains. It was quite a beautiful scenery and like nothing that Mickey had ever seen before. Slightly east of them was a large airship that was made of beautiful wood that almost shined golden in the sunlight. It had magnificent propellers and looked to have been finished only recently. On the side of the ship were the words _Enterprise_ painted on and they knew that was the ships name. Jim in particular was intrigued by the ship itself. But there were more important matters to attend to and so, Jim faced the king.

"Well, Your Majesty, where do we go from here?" Jim asked with a smile on his face. Mickey looked at Jim and saw that gone was the boy who was a delinquent with the earring on one of his ears, replaced with an upright man who looked clean and new.

"Welp…I'm not sure…" Mickey said with a bit of concern in his voice. "We need to find some kind of army for the war."

"Well, we could always follow Interstellar Academy Rule Number 47." Jim said with a chuckle and Mickey looked at him. "When arriving on a new world, look for some sort of disaster or clamor and you'll most certainly find what you're looking for." Mickey smiled at Jim when suddenly there was a large explosion to the north of them in the mountains. The ground rumbled as a huge spurt of lava exploded from the very mountains. When the rumbling at last ceased and the two had regained themselves, Jim looked at the king and stated "Well…I think we found our trouble."

Mickey nodded and the two of them set off for the town that was at the base of the mountains. As they ran forward they soon ran into a group of five who were running _from_ the town. The man at the head of the group had long and wavy blonde hair and was dressed in a beautifully shining white armor that exuded an aura of light around him. There was a woman on the right side of him who was wearing what looked to be white tights on her legs and purple shoes. She had a long cape flowing from her back and a more cream colored clothing covered her upper torso with her breasts jutting out slightly from the layer of clothing right on top of that. The top of her hair was tied in a bun but also had her hair streaming down. Attached to her back were a bow and some arrows. On the right side of this woman was an elderly man with brown hair and a beard. He wore a red and blue cap on that and seemed to mostly be wearing overalls and goggles over his eyes.

To the left of the man in shining armor was another man dressed in much darker armor, with a spear on his back. The armor was very spiky and covered most of his body, including his face which seemed to be covered by a dragon's head. He had blonde hair flowing out of that and he seemed to be a man with some inner conflict. On the left side of him was one last man who had no shirt on but had his long hair tied back in a ponytail. For the most part his man's head was shaved and he wore what seemed to be comfortable slippers for shoes. His bottom half was covered by some form of red pants. This group of five froze and stopped when they saw Mickey and Jim approaching. Mickey was the first to speak.

"Hiya fellas, what just happened over there? Is everyone okay?" Mickey asked cheerfully but everyone stared at him with wide-eyed expressions. The man at the head of their group was the first to come to his senses and look past the fact that Mickey was a mouse.

"Uhh…umm…Everyone's fine. That was a planned explosion." the man said. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

"We're travelers from another world, looking for an army to fight in a war." Jim said before he extended his hand. "I'm Jim Hawkins, and this is His Majesty King Mickey Mouse of Disney Castle." The man at the front shook his hand.

"I'm Cecil Harvey, former Lord Captain of the Red Wings of Baron." the man, Cecil, stated. He then began to motion to all of the people behind him. "This is my girlfriend Rosa Farrell, my best friend Kain Highwind-"

"Commander of the Dragoons of Baron." Kain said in a deep voice and Mickey could sense the roiling conflict beneath him. Cecil continued with his introductions, indicating the bearded man next.

"This is Cid Pollendina, the Fleetmaster of Baron and Yang who is of the monks of Fabul, a kingdom to the northeast." Cecil finished summing up their introductions.

"So…you are looking for warriors?" Kain asked of them, peering out of his helmet and down to the tiny mouse that barely measured up to his knees. Mickey nodded with a smile.

"You guys look like warriors too. Do ya know of anyone who could help?" Mickey asked and the companions in front of them looked at each other. Cecil turned towards them.

"We would know…but our Kingdom of Baron is now in turmoil since our king has been murdered." Cecil said with no enthusiasm at all.

"Meanwhile, we are trying to find a man named Golbez to stop him from taking crystals that will apparently open the way to the moon." Rosa told them and Jim nodded thoughtfully. He shared a quick glance with Mickey and the two knew what needed to be done.

"No problem." Jim said with a shrug and they looked at him confusedly. "We'll help you guys find and defeat this Golbez guy and in return you can help us with our war." The five companions considered this for a moment before Cecil eventually nodded and stated that they would gladly help.

"But where are you fellas headin' now?" Mickey asked, wanting to know their full itinerary before they set off. Cid was the first one to answer.

"We're firing up the _Enterprise_ over there and taking that baby down into the Underworld." Cid said with great enthusiasm as if he loved flying an airship. "We didn't even know there was an Underworld till Kain told us…and apparently, four of the eight crystals reside down there." As Cid spoke of these crystals Mickey felt a hushed whisper filter through the wind and caress his senses slightly as if they were speaking untold volumes that only he could here. It was at that moment that Mickey somehow knew that he needed to be here.

"Well then, we'll go with you fellas. I suppose you could say we're warriors of a sort and we should be able to help!" Mickey said cheerfully and Jim nodded.

"Then I'll go fire up the _Enterprise_!" Cid yelled happily and he ran off towards the great hulking airship. Jim's eyes alighted greatly and part of him wanted to ask the man if he could fly the airship but he restrained himself and the remainder of the group, now joined by Mickey and Jim, headed off towards the _Enterprise_ where the propellers on the airship were beginning to spin and whirl.

"You say you are of another world." Yang asked with curiosity as they began walking. Mickey allowed Jim to take this question as he beginning wondering inwardly about the feeling he had received earlier.

"Yes. Every star in the sky is a world." Jim explained to the eagerly curious Monk of Fabul. "I'm part of the Interstellar Academy, an elite group of spacers, people who fly through space, that keep peace going throughout the worlds. We fall under the command of His Majesty who is the king of Disney Castle. Under him is my friend Sora, who is the king of Radiant Garden, another world. He's the one spearheading this entire operation of building an army. He and His Majesty are what we call Keybearers, they wield mythical weapon known as Keyblades because of the strength of their heart."

"But why are all of you at war?" Rosa asked fearfully. Jim turned to her with his own concerned look.

"Because a guy named Onyx wants to rule the worlds and we're not gonna let him." Jim answered succinctly and that was all that really needed to be said, for at this moment they had boarded the _Enterprise_. Jim was in absolute awe of the magnificent structure. It looked a little similar to the old _R.L.S. Legacy_ and yet it had a flair to it that was all its own. He couldn't control himself any longer. "Uh, Cid, can I fly this?" Cid looked at him like he was out of his mind.

"What are you nuts?!" Cid yelled incredulously. "We're going into uncharted territory and you want to take a crash course in flying airships?!"

"I've piloted Gummi Ships for over twelve years now and I built a solar surfer at the age of seven!" Jim said proudly. "I'm Captain Jim Hawkins of the Interstellar Academy. There isn't a single ship that I can't fly air or space."

"Maybe I'll let you fly it one day but this is my baby and I want her taken care of!" Cid said in his defense and Jim decided to just let the subject drop. The propellers began whirring faster and Mickey suddenly felt a small sense of disorientation as the airship lifted off of the ground near the town of Agart (as Jim and Mickey soon learned it was called). Cid angled it in the direction of the town and soon they were off at a fairly quick speed. However, they didn't have very far to go as soon they were hovering over a deep black hole that led to the caverns below the surface of the planet. Mickey figured that this must have been the damage that the explosion cause but he thought no more on it as Cid angled the airship downward into the whole.

Everyone on the airship began to feel themselves start to sweat as they descended and Jim had to consistently wipe away the perspiration that was forming on his forehead. When they descended far enough they were able to at last see why they were sweating so much. Before them was a large expanse of scorched land and lava the likes of which none of them (even the new friends they had just made on this world) had ever seen before. To the west there was a great large tower that expanded upward and even seemed to jut through to the very surface. But the one detail that caught everyone's surprise were the three large red airships floating in the sky with cannons deployed.

"Those are-" Cecil began, and it seemed that he was genuinely surprised.

"The Red Wings!" Kain finished for his friend as the flew into the thicket of the red airships. Mickey ran over to the banister and looked down below.

"There are tanks down there!" Jim yelled out and it was true. But nobody knew who the tanks could have belonged to. All that they knew was that this unknown force on the ground was battling this formidable force in the air. Mickey turned to Cecil.

"Cecil, I thought you were captain of the Red Wings." Mickey said with confusion.

"I was, Your Majesty, until Golbez came and usurped me and my king. I was counted a traitor to Baron until recently." Cecil stated quickly as Cid swerved the _Enterprise_ through the streaming fire.

"We will have time to talk of this later." Kain said as the ship bucked a bit and Rosa fell down. Cecil barely caught her and she smiled at him.

"It seems we weren't fast enough." Yang said with despair and lament over their current predicament. Jim took one last look over the side and turned to their new friends.

"But who are they fighting?" Jim inquired of them and they all shook their heads, indicating they didn't know. "Great…and this is your world."

"Hold on tight, fellas!" Cid yelled from the wheel. "We gotta break through this line! Come on _Enterprise_! I know you're hurting but hold on for me girl!" The ship swerved to the left and aimed southward. Jim poked his head out the back and saw that the red Wings were gaining on them.

"You better pull this thing out faster Cid!" Jim said with a sense of alarm and emergency.

"He's right." Kain announced. "They're gaining on us!" Cid made a sharp right turn with the airship and attempted to avoid the enemy. The blast from the cannons barely missed them but the aftereffect ripped away part of one of the propellers. "Cid, go faster!"

"I can't coax anything more out of it!" Cid yelled, this time swerving to the left. But the Red Wings were smarter this time and fired off another cannon blast that hit the ship dead on in its hull. "Uh-oh!" The ship bucked as more enemy fire hit it and it seemed that the _Enterprise_ wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. Jim grimaced and this time looked to the front of them. He ran past Mickey to stare out over the Underworld plain.

"Cid, land at that patch of land there!" Jim yelled, pointing to a small place ahead. The airship was beginning to go out of control and Jim knew it would be tricky but still manageable. Cid ordered for everyone to hold on tight as the ship went careening down, Cid able to coax just enough maneuverability out of the ship to land, albeit not gracefully. The airship slammed into the ground with immense force that bucked everyone forward. Mickey, being of such small size was rocked completely out of the ship and landed on the barren land below. Thankfully, however, he was able to retain consciousness. Jim was the first to get up after the ship had landed. He shook his head like a dog trying to rid itself of water before he noticed that everyone else was also coming to.

"Cecil…" Rosa moaned out and Jim noticed Cecil get up and walk over to her. He helped her up and she seemed a little woozy, but other than that she was okay.

"Is everyone all right?" Cecil asked the group at large and Kain, Cid, and Yang mumbled out their affirmative. But Jim noticed the one affirmative that had not joined the group.

"His Majesty!" Jim yelled and looked around. The small king was nowhere to be seen so he leapt out of the ship and found Mickey sitting down on the ground rubbing his cheek. "Oh, good, you're all right." Mickey smiled and got up as he saw Jim and then the other five scrambling down behind him. Everyone else also seemed relieved that the king of Disney Castle was safe, despite the fact that they had just met him.

"Cid, how's the airship?" Cecil asked concernedly and Cid almost looked close to tears. He took off his goggles briefly but no one saw his eyes due to the fact that he was rubbing them with his arm.

"She took a beating. We won't be able to fly her anymore…not like this." came the disgruntled and disheartening response from the fleetmaster.

"Then we go on by foot." Mickey said and they looked at him like he was mad. "It's the only chance we have." Jim immediately accepted this and Cecil accepted soon after. With that decision, the three set off southwest, which was truly the only direction that they could go due to the fact that their airship wreckage blocked the path north and lava barricaded the path east. The trek, however, was not welcome. There was no sun to light their way and so the only visible path they had was granted by the lava. While this was not the worst thing, it definitely made the trek harder as the air began to scorch their lungs. Jim approached Mickey, who was leading at the front of the line, looking like he was no worse for the wear.

"Your Majesty, if we continue on much longer like this, the six of us will be deep-fried." Jim told him but Mickey merely smiled at him.

"Don't worry, Jim. I know where we're goin'!" Mickey announced and Jim was absolutely bewildered by this statement.

"Uh…you do?" Jim asked and Mickey pointed ahead. That was when Jim saw it: the great stone castle that rose before them. It seemed to be a true marvel of design and shape and while the castle was rather block-like, it still retained its own feeling of uniqueness. "That would do." Jim said with his own smile and he and Mickey picked up the pace. The other five began speeding up and even though they heard Cid's wheezing and Rosa's moaning of fatigue they didn't stop until at last they had reached the doors of the castle. But they did not find the castle unguarded. Two heavily bearded, and very short, men guarded the entrance.

"Halt!" they yelled at once, barring the path to the gate with a pair of axes. "Ye are about to enter the realm of the dwarves. State ye purpose here."

"I'm King Mickey Mouse of Disney Castle and this is Jim Hawkins as well as Cecil Harvey and his companions." Mickey answered. The two guards at the gate to the castle looked at each other. They nodded and then signaled for the gate to be opened while one of the dwarves went darting inside the castle.

"Lali-ho!" the dwarf said and Mickey thanked him. The group of seven then strode into the hall. Jim noticed that inside the castle also looked blocky there and he was slightly bemused by the style of architecture. Regardless, now was not the time to marvel at architecture and they all moved forward, following the footsteps of the dwarf who ran ahead. As they approached what looked to be the largest chamber in the castle there were some loud words being spoken.

"But father, I lost my dolls! Hasn't anyone seen them?!" cried a little girls voice in a faint Scottish accent.

"Luca, we will speak on this later." came a more heavy Scottish accent that was deeper than the other one. "We have guests arriving." Cecil strode in front of Mickey and pushed the door open and the group walked inside. What they found was a throne room of magnificent proportions and on the throne was a short, burly man with a great long brown beard. He turned to face them all as they entered. He immediately came off his throne and strode over to Mickey. He was only slightly larger than the king but still matched him stature all the same. "Oh, Your Majesty, I am so sorry, I had no idea you were coming to our precious planet."

"You know of me?!" Mickey asked surprised. While he was, in fact, the ruler of the free worlds, he had not been to all of them and thus not everyone knew of him.

"Of course, we have known about other worlds for much time, but being in the Underworld ourselves, we could not do anything but remain here." the king said. "Still, I am glad that ye survived that crash after all."

"My pardons, Your Majesty," Cecil said, interrupting across the king. "But might we ask your name?" The king nodded wearily and traversed back to his throne and sat in it, facing the companions.

"I am Giott, king of the dwarves and ruler of the Underworld." Giott told them and Mickey understood why he knew. It was his duty to know of the king of Disney Castle. Still, the fact that he was a dwarf definitely explained his height difference.

"And the dark crystals, are they really here?" Cecil asked of Giott and he inclined his head solemnly at the paladin.

"So, that is indeed the reason for your coming." Giott said with a very heavy air about him. He heaved a great sigh but then he perked up a bit. "But you do not seem to be friends of the others, leastwise judging from their welcome. I must apologize, you are with the king of Disney Castle, I could not think you mean us harm. And we came near to shooting you out of the sky ourselves."

"Are the crystals safe?" Kain asked quickly and Jim angled his eyes between looking at both Kain and for the expression on Giott's face.

"Would that I could say yes, but two of the four have already been captured." Giott said with sadness. Jim's brow furled. The crystals definitely seemed important to the inhabitants of these worlds…so what did this Golbez want with them?

"We are too late then…" yang said sadly but Jim noticed something didn't add up.

"Hold on, you said, two of the four…that means that two are still safe right?" Jim pointed out and everyone looked at him with a semblance of hope. Giott however gave him a quick confused look, as if he was inquiring who he was. "Jim Hawkins, captain in the Interstellar Academy."

"That is correct." Giott said, shaking himself of confusion. "This castle's crystal remains secure. Our tank battalion was able to repel the enemy forces."

"Those tanks we saw battling the airships were yours, then?" Rosa asked with recognition and the veil that had been cast over matters was suddenly beginning to be shifted aside.

"Airships, you call them?" Giott asked in his own surprise and they nodded at him. "The surface world must be home to many wonders. Our tanks have long been unmatched on the battlefield…" Giott dropped his head wearily. "But even they are hard-pressed to defend against assault from the air. I do not suppose you would be willing to lend that airship of yours to our defense?" Everyone in the room looked to Cid who scratched his beard thoughtfully.

"She was damaged when we were forced down…" Cid said angrily. After all, his baby was damaged in a manner of speaking. "She'll need repairs before she'll be able to fly again."

"Well, if it would aid you, I shall supply you with any materials you may need." Giott said. Cid beamed at the dwarven king in happiness and stretched a bit. He cricked his neck and turned to leave the throne room.

"Then I should be able to patch her up and get her engines humming again." Cid said with a small smirk. "Unfortunately, she wasn't built to take that magma. I'll probably need to take her up to the surface to build her Mythril plating of some sort."

"I'll help if you need me." Jim proffered but Cid just brushed him off and said he'd be fine on his own. Jim thought he was just be stubborn but just as before, he let the issue go.

"All right now, I don't have time for teary goodbyes. I'm only making a few upgrades so I'll be back before you even miss me!" Cid said and without another word from the companions, his red and blue figure exited the throne room.

"I hope he's careful." Rosa said worriedly but Cecil just hugged her and gave her a peck on the cheek, stating he would be fine. Mickey decided to get back on the track of business.

"Your Majesty, where is this castle's crystal being kept?" Mickey asked the dwarven king and he gave a small little chuckle.

"Where it is most secure: in the chamber behind my throne. So as long as there is light left in my eyes and my heart, the crystal will be safe." Giott stated proudly. But no sooner did he say this than Yang gave a gasp and Mickey's own ears twitched, as if something had changed in the castle.

"Someone is eavesdropping." yang said suddenly and everyone but Mickey turned to look at him.

"There's no one here but us…" Cecil stated with a muddled expression and Yang shook his head. Mickey responded first.

"There's a presence behind that wall. Open the door!" Mickey commanded and Giott ordered his men to do so. The secret panel slid open and all six of the companions strode quickly into the room. Kain was the last one through the door and as soon as he entered, the door slammed shut. Kain whipped around and attempted to open the door but it wouldn't budge.

"The door's been barred shut!" Kain said but no one was paying attention to him and were instead staring at the blackened crystal floating in front of them. Mickey seemed drawn towards the crystal and a small whisper passed through his ear.

_King Mickey…light wanes in this place…_

Mickey gave an audible gasp and Jim looked at him in confusion for a moment. Mickey looked concernedly at Jim about that faint premonition before there was laughter from behind the pedestal where the crystal was floating. Cecil drew his sword and everyone else also took out their weapons, Mickey summoning his Keyblade in a flash of light. Suddenly, six different dolls hopped out from behind the pedestal with evil grins on their faces.

"Okay…this is too weird…" Jim said, charging up his gun.

"We are Calcabrina!" the dolls announced and Jim felt a chill run down his spine. "Adorable dolls! Terrible dolls! You are mindless cretins! Charging into unknown halls…We'll cut your strings! Lord Golbez will be pleased!" Jim grimaced and aimed his gun at one of them.

"Oh, shut it already!" Jim said and he let off a plasm blast. It hit one of the dolls dead center and the doll toppled over, smoldering and defeated. Jim smirked and began firing off more shots. He was able to take out three more dolls before he had to recharge again. But as he was recharging the dolls laughed wickedly again and soon formed into a great giant doll. "Uhh…help, anyone?" Mickey leaped through the air and sliced straight through the giant doll which began to collapse and broke apart.

"Welp, I would guess that Golbez knows the crystal's here." Mickey said with a small bit of fear playing into his voice. Then there was a booming, deep laughter that rang through the entire room.

"How astute!" a deep and malevolent voice cried out in the chamber. "So, Cecil, our paths cross once again." Mickey whipped around, searching for the source of the voice. But he felt it before he even saw it…darkness. It was unmistakably there. He had felt mostly light in that place until this man came in here and there was darkness. And it wasn't of the kind that Maleficent exuded but something more foul, the kind that would warrant control of the Unbirths. And yet there was no lingering scent of Onyx which meant that this man was dark the way he was. Mickey turned toward the crystal and saw, standing there, a man clad in armor of deepest night with great horns sticking up from his head. This was Golbez, the man exuding such darkness…and yet Mickey could feel conflict within him.

"Golbez!" Cecil cried out in surprise at seeing the night-clad knight. Golbez gave a laugh.

"I believe we have a score to settle. It is terribly unfortunate that this time you lack the boon of Meteor." Golbez said in a very sympathizing voice before his next speech turned to wicked sneer. "But first, allow me to tell you my purpose in gathering the crystals. Consider it a small prize for your very small victory before. There are eight crystals in total-those of light and dark combined. Together they form the key to reactivating the Tower of Babil, and thereby the gate to the moon. The moon is said to conceal knowledge beyond the limits of human comprehension. This is the seventh crystal, meaning that only one remains and the way will open. Much of this is thanks to you, of course, so your aid shall not be unrewarded."

Golbez lifted his arm into the air with a great chuckle and bolts of lightning rained down upon them. Mickey managed to shield him and Jim from the blast but the other five were knocked down before Golbez swept his arm across his body. Mickey's reflect spell was beginning to wane and Jim felt his body seize up next to him. Soon, all other five of Mickey's companions were paralyzed and Golbez laughed. His arm was raised again and a great amount of darkness surged in the room. Mickey crouched down, almost in pain from the amount of darkness that was there. When Mickey came back up a great black dragon had risen in front of him. It had great black fangs and looked to be ready to kill the five helpless people in front of him. Mickey bared his Keyblade before him and prepared to rush at the dragon.

"You will not hurt them!" cried a female voice before Mickey could act and suddenly a great mist began to enter the room. It obscured Golbez from view but Mickey felt a heavy presence of light in the room. Suddenly a great silver shape flitted past Mickey and seemed to tackle the dragon head on, dispersing it into nothingness. Golbez stepped back in shock.

"What?!" Golbez cried out. "An Eidolon…this is impossible…my dragon slain by mere mist." Suddenly most of the darkness was obliterated from the room and Jim collapsed onto the floor, able to move again.

"It's all right guys, you can move again!" called out the same female voice. Cecil perked up, recognizing the voice and they all faced the figure who had entered the room, a whip in her hand. She was dressed in completely green clothing that was quite revealing. The upper parts of her arms, including her shoulders, were completely bare but over her lower arms were trailing green pieces of clothing. Her leggings were also green and seemed to connect to the main part of her outfit which covered up her backside. She wore a great green cape that extended over that backside. In her front was a flap that covered her lower area and was attached to the same part that covered up her upper torso but revealed a large part of her breasts. The woman also had green hair and a hair band with a small flower on it.

"This cannot…cannot be!" Golbez cried in anguish and for the first time he actually sounded fearful. Mickey smiled and leapt at Golbez. Golbez raised his hand and sent turrets of fire at the king. He dodged them and suddenly Mickey felt a reflect shield wrap itself around him. He glanced behind him and saw that Rosa was casting the spell. Suddenly, Kain flew past Mickey and sailed down from the air. Golbez raised his arm and blocked the blow, tossing Kain aside like rag doll. Kain slammed into Mickey but Mickey was quickly up again as Yang rushed forward. He swept his legs in a roundhouse kick and Golbez toppled to his knees with a grunt. The woman who arrived earlier waved her arm and a torrent of ice shards were fired at Golbez. But as they hit him, they vanished into his armor. He laughed evilly and got up. "My turn!"

With a simple wave of his hands more lightning crashed down on them but great orbs of light surrounded the woman and a great creature of earth known as Titan rose in front of her, shielding the group from the blow of lightning. It slammed its hands down onto Golbez and he crumpled underneath the blow. Jim fired off some shots from his plasma gun at Golbez's knees and he seemed to be further crippled. Mickey and Cecil then ran at Golbez and with swipes of their blades, Golbez was at last felled.

"We…we did it!" Cecil panted out, surprised at the ease of their victory. But Mickey somehow felt that the darkness still lingered. "We defeated him!" Cecil turned to the woman who was smiling at them.

"Rydia…you saved our lives." Rosa said with gratitude.

"But what's happened to you?" Cecil asked in confusion. Clearly something was quite different than when Cecil had first met this girl.

"When we were attacked, Leviathan carried me to the Feymarch-the land that the Eidolons call home. I lived among them and befriended them. I can't use white magic like you anymore Rose…but my summoning and black magic have grown stronger. However, time flows differently in the Feymarch so my body grew up." the woman, or rather girl, Rydia responded to Cecil's query.

"So, I'm to take it that you guys know her?" Jim asked with a quirked eyebrow. Rydia now noticed Jim and took a step back. She twirled her hair a bit and bit her lip but said no more. Cecil was the one to answer.

"This is Rydia, of Mist." Cecil answered him. Jim shrugged his shoulders, not knowing anything about that. But Kain suddenly gasped.

"That child?!" Kain exclaimed. Mickey made a mental note to ask about that later. Yang chuckled and stated that this was a truly interesting occurrence.

"But why would you come to save us?" Cecil asked in confusion, and Mickey detected a small sense of sadness. "If it weren't for us…your mother…"

"Don't say another word!" Rydia demanded and Cecil looked at her. "The queen of the Eidolon's told me this: the wheels of fate greater than us all are turning now, here and far. We must stand against the darkness and stand together or all that we love could be lost."

"Then we fight together." Mickey stated cheerily and now Rydia noticed Mickey standing there. He introduced himself and she quickly bowed to him. But then Mickey felt a very strong sense of darkness return.

"Death…will not claim dominion over me." came the voice of Golbez and they all turned to face him. Mickey cried out and leapt at Golbez. "You meddlesome fool!" He clenched his fist and suddenly a line of Unbirths appeared in front of him. Mickey stopped his onslaught on Golbez and instead proceeded to create a great pillar of flame that incinerated the Unbirths. But when they were gone Golbez was as well, along with the crystal.

"The crystal!" Cecil yelled. There was banging coming on the door behind them and Mickey whipped around, pointing his Keyblade at the door. It unlocked the door and King Giott came stumbling in. Cecil hung his head low. "Forgive us…Golbez escaped with the crystal."

"Nothing that any of us could have done would have stopped that." Giott said in a matter of fact tone.

"But that leaves only one crystal…" Mickey said with concern.

"And we must guard it with our lives…" Giott said with determination. He strode out of the crystal room and the others followed. As soon as they entered back into the throne room he began speaking again. "The crystal is safe in the Sealed Cave. Golbez may have headed for that direction but have no fear for it is guarded and cannot be breached without the proper key. That makes this the opportune moment to turn the tables."

"How?" Jim snapped at the king, partially losing his sense of reverence. "We don't know where Golbez is hoarding the crystals."

"But we do: the Tower of Babil!" Giott announced with a flash of his eyes. "While he is chasing after the final crystal you can all sneak in and reclaim the lost seven."

"You would have us march into the enemy's fortress?" Yang asked with skepticism. Mickey thought on this a moment.

"It would be risky…but it's our only chance. If Golbez returns then there is no way that we could reclaim those crystals." Mickey stated. He turned to face the dwarven king. "Is there a way we could get in?"

"Our tanks can crate a diversion and draw the enemy forces away from the base." Giott said with confidence.

"Well, what do all of you think?" Jim asked the group at large. They all turned to look at each other and seemed to be weighing their options.

"Walking willingly into an enemy stronghold?" Rydia asked with some doubt and discomfort.

"It would be dangerous…and there's no guarantee we would make it out alive." Rosa said with a nod of her head. Yang nodded his head solemnly and then stated wisely:

"But to lose nothing is to gain nothing." No one in that room could argue with that statement.

"King Giott speaks true, we must act while Golbez is away…" Kain stated simply. Cecil nodded with determination.

"Then our course is decided." Cecil stated and Mickey turned to Giott in order to represent the group at large.

"All right, we'll do it! How do we get to the Tower of Babil?" Mickey stated cheerfully and Giott clapped his hands happily.

"In the basement of this castle there is a tunnel that will lead you on the path to the tower." Giott said. "I will have a guide show you the way out." He clapped his hands again and a dwarf hustled up to them.

"I'm ready to go," Jim stated confidently with a glance to Mickey. "How about the rest of you?" They all nodded or mumbled out their affirmative and so the dwarf led them down to a hallway and into a secret door. Mickey soon took the lead with Cecil and Rosa behind him. Kain and Yang took the middle while Jim and Rydia, being good with long range things, took the back row as they emerged once more onto the Underworld plains and the sweltering heat. Before they set off, the dwarf guide handed Mickey a map of the Underworld in case they would ever get lost. They thanked the dwarf and set off at once for the Tower of Babil.

The journey towards the Tower of Babil was long and very hot, which was not surprising due to the fact that they _were_ surrounded by great mounds of lava all around them. Rydia, who was quite trained in the art of Black magic, used her abilities to keep them all quenched and cool as much as possible, but even she couldn't perform miracles. but as they moved on, Rydia told them the story of her time in the Feymarch under King Leviathan and Queen Asura, the very same queen who had told her about fate moving them all. For this reason, Mickey began to think that this Asura knew something of their own struggle, and he would have wanted to meet her if he had the time. Unfortunately for them, time was something they did not have on their side. The journey to the Tower of Babil alone took about three hours in and of itself and Yang speculated that the moon would be cresting over the overworld soon enough.

Eventually though, the group of seven did reach the Tower of Babil where they found the dwarven tanks duking it out with a great number of charging Unbirths. So far, it seemed that their strategy was working to draw out the enemy forces but Mickey noticed that the entrance to the tower was still quite well guarded. With a simple flick of his wrist he summoned Darkside to his hand and ran at the Unbirths. Jim also withdrew his pistol and began firing at them. Soon they were vanquished and their access to the tower was granted. And when they had entered, they wished they hadn't. The Tower of Babil had seven floors in the Underworld and was already quite large and took quite long to traverse it without the presence of the Unbirths in that stronghold. Thus it was that their journey through the tower took them another two hours. Around the fifth floor up, Jim had a moment to talk with Mickey.

"Your Majesty, do you think this Golbez is in league with Onyx?" Jim asked with unease. "I mean, he's using the Unbirths and all…" Mickey shook his head.

"Nope. He had darkness…but I don't sense Onyx has ever set foot on this planet. I think that's just the way that Golbez is…but there's something more to him than I thought." Mickey furrowed his brow but pushed past that thought as they began to climb up more stairs. At long last, and after what seemed like a million years to both Jim and Rydia, they were nearing the very end.

"I hope that we may accomplish our task without fail." Yang said as they neared the top and nobody responded but Jim, who just smiled at the monk of Fabul. When they emerged onto the highest floor they began to round a corner, however they heard voices and stopped.

"Do be careful, Rubicante my lord." said a sniveling voice that Jim thought was very much characteristic of a mad scientist. He wanted to know what the guy looked like so he poked his head around the corner and saw a small man with white hair and large glasses. _Yep…definitely mad scientist…_In front of him was a man cloaked entirely it what seemed to be a red and blue practically flaming cloak. His face, which was not covered seemed to be a dead gray.

"There is no need for concern. Eblan's castle has already fallen, and it's ninja forces with it. I trust matters here to you until my return." the robed figure, presumably Rubicante, told the man before he suddenly disappeared in a great rush of flame. Suddenly the old man began to laugh maniacally.

"Lord Golbez and Rubicante both gone and only I at home!!" the man cried jubilantly and Jim rolled his eyes while charging up his plasma gun. "I'm lord of the tower now!"

"That's a strange one…" Rydia giggled out, reflecting her still-seven year old mind despite the fact that her body was the age of seventeen.

"You said it…" Jim muttered and everyone else shushed them but the man had frozen and cried out a quick "Who's there?!" Cecil was the one who decided to show himself first. He led the group out into the open and the man stared at them with some small sense of recognition.

"You-you're that Cecil louse aren't you…and his sniveling companions?" the man said. "When in toadspittle did you squirm your way in?!"

"Rubicante's not here to help you." Kain said, drawing his spear from his back and pointing it at the man. Everyone else followed after Kain in order to show their impressive display of force. "Are you sure you wish to press your luck against us?" At this comment the man seemed absolutely enraged.

"Press my luck?! Gah-the outrage!" the man screamed, his face absolutely livid. "Do you have any idea to whom you're speaking?!! I'm Doctor Lugae! I may not be one of them, but Golbez made me his chief strategist for a reason. I can keep this tower clean of vermin like you!"

"Oh, please…you're just some freaky mad scientist with serious issues." Jim said, waving his pistol in front of his face with a chuckle. "I bet you couldn't even cure a cold much less lead an army." Lugae was now shaking with unimaginable fury. Mickey looked at Jim with raised eyebrows.

"Jim…I don't think that was the right thing to say." Mickey said with apprehension and Lugae hopped up and down in anger.

"Now you've done it! You can look upon the true face of fear!" Lugae screamed and he brought out a bottle that contained some kind of potion. Jim just smirked and brought his pistol in front of his face. He aimed at the bottle and shot it right out of the doctor's hands. Lugae screamed before Jim fired at him in quick succession without a single thought. Blood streamed from Lugae and though Jim felt bad, he knew it was necessary. But even as Lugae began to die he was still laughing. "Fools…this tower reaches beyond the surface you know. Rubicante has already moved the crystal to the spires above…All that remains is to annihilate those accursed dwarves with my cannons!" And as he breathed in his last breath, Lugae died, laughing maniacally with blood seeping onto the floor.

"Oh no! The dwarves!" Rydia screamed in fright. Mickey immediately set off running, Jim and Cecil behind him. The others began following.

"I saw something of a door that would lead to a cannon room on our way up." Cecil stated and he soon overtook the king, leading them quickly down the corridors. Time was of the essence and soon they managed to make it to the door. Cecil banged on it unsuccessfully before, "It's locked!"

"Stand aside!" Mickey said quickly and he held his Keyblade out. The door to the cannon room unlocked. Cecil stared at him in amazement for a moment but got his wits back and whipped out his sword as a rather burly Unbirth leapt at him. He sliced through it and proceeded toward the cannons. Yang quickly darted in a pushed Cecil aside as the controls for the cannon began to short out.

"It's too dangerous!" Rosa yelled with fright and Jim tried to push his way forward.

"Well, we have to do something!" Jim yelled through gritted teeth. Right now, it was looking like the dwarves were the only allies that they had on this world and he wasn't going to lose them.

"Yang!" Cecil yelled when he saw Yang attempt to stop the cannons.

"I will take care of things in here. The rest of you, get out." Yang ordered of them and Mickey's eyes widened.

"No!" Mickey yelped at his newfound friend. "It's too late, let's just get out of here in one piece."

"Forgive me." Yang stated, bowing his head for a moment. Before anyone could think or react, Yang swept his leg and kicked them out of the room, shutting the door. Mickey, due to his small weight, flew the farthest while the others were able to get up and start banging on the door. Jim tried firing plasma bolts at it but they all flew away from the door harmlessly. "If you should see my wife again, tell her to live enough for us both."

"Don't be a fool! Open the door!" Kain yelled, brandishing his spear. Mickey flipped up and began to run forward. He needed to reach that door and unlock it.

"Please Yang, don't throw your life away!" Rosa yelled.

"Open the damn door Yang!" Cecil yelled and Jim joined him in trying to bang down the door. Through the door, they heard Yang's final words.

"It has been an honor fighting with all of you, especially you, Your Majesty." Suddenly, as Mickey reached the door there was a large explosion from within the room and Yang let out a scream that was sickeningly horrifying. When all was said and done, smoke was curling out of the room in a snakelike and sinister fashion. Everyone hung their head but none more so than Mickey who felt he had failed. Jim was the first to recover.

"Come on, you guys. We still have a mission to get those seven crystals. Yang died to give us that chance so we need to move…NOW!" Those last words of Jim snapped everyone to attention and they began to take off, back down the tower. The only solace in Mickey's heart from this whole thing was that at least the dwarves would not be destroyed. The halls of the tower of Babil were practically empty now and so it took them very little time to reach the walkway that led outward until…

"Well, Your Majesty, I had not known that it was you. It appears that you and Cecil are more meddlesome than I had first thought." came Golbez's sinister voice from nowhere and yet everywhere.

"Golbez!" Mickey cried out.

"Mice are wont to play while the cat is away." Golbez said with an underlying sinister chuckle to it. "But I am afraid our game of cat and mouse is at an end and we must part ways. Farewell." Mickey summoned his Keyblade again, as if determined to find Golbez but couldn't find him anywhere when suddenly the bridge began to shake. One thought struck all of their heads: _move!_ They ran and barely made it out of the tower and onto the ground where, with relief, they saw the _Enterprise_ floating above them. They quickly boarded.

"Doesn't get much closer than that!" Cid said cheerfully before he looked around at the group. "Where's Yang?"

"Where do you think?!" Jim said angrily and he strolled away. People, giving up their futures like that, giving up their dreams to save another. He knew it was right, Silver had taught him that…but it still felt wrong right now. Jim was deaf to the sounds of conversation behind him until he heard the familiar whirring of an airship. He looked up and saw a ship of the Red Wings fast approaching. "Uh…I think we've been followed." Cid saw the ships and immediately rushed to the wheel and began turning the ship over and back towards the hole out of the Underworld.

"Can't you shake them?" Kain asked of Cid and he looked absolutely wild with fright.

"This should be the faster ship!" Cid said before realization hit him. "They must have made improvements to the Red Wings, too!" Cid swerved the ship to avoid enemy fire and aimed the _Enterprise_ upward.

"They're gaining on us!" Rydia yelled in alarm.

"Come on _Enterprise_…" Cid soothed the ship. Suddenly the ship began bucking back and forth. "Jim, you take over, the engines can't take this." Jim quickly ran to the steering wheel and instantly began to maneuver the ship expertly, paying no heed to what Cid was about to do.

"What are you doing?!" Rydia cried and Jim snapped his head in Cid's direction. He was standing on the banister, holding what seemed to be a small bomb.

"Once you breach the surface, I'll seal off the hole with this." Cid said in a very descriptor manner. Rosa protested but he plowed on. "I was hoping to see your kids some day but…well, someone's gotta keep Yang company. Get yourselves to Baron and talk to my boys when you get there."

"But you'll die!" Rydia screamed but Cid just smiled at them.

"And so young too!" Cid yelled and Jim snorted. He then leapt out as Jim aimed to breach the surface. Just as he was about to he heard Cid yell, "Bombs away! Try stopping this Golbez, my once in a lifetime unaided flight!" And then they broke through, a great explosion emanating from the mountains, suddenly caving in the massive hole that had once led to the Underworld. When they were clear of the explosion, Jim stopped the airship and breathed in the fresh air. It would have felt cleaner…were it not for what had just happened.

"One after another…" Rydia sobbed out and Kain slammed his fist on the banister.

"Rushing to die like fools!" he raged. But after that, the airship was silent before Cecil perked up.

"We go to Baron…for Cid." Cecil said. And so, swathed in moonlight, Cecil directed Jim toward the kingdom of Baron where he hoped that after all this he would get some sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning dawned clearer than anything Jim had seen, with the sunlight stinging Jim's eyes. He groaned with distaste and shifted his body away from the sun, remembering the night before. They had flown to Baron and Cecil had begun organizing its army to make good on the promise that he had made when they first met. All of the other members went to sleep and lament over their losses. But Jim had spent time looking into the night sky at the two moons. What horrible secret could be held up there? To him, it didn't really matter, all he knew was that they needed to stop Golbez or else their chance of garnering this world to their side would be utterly lost. Still, his sleep didn't last much longer as he soon felt a prodding in his side. He tried to shake it off but the prodding became more insistent. Jim shot up and saw Mickey standing there.

"Sorry to wake ya Jim, but we gotta get movin'!" Mickey said with a smile. Jim yawned and rubbed the back of his head. He cast the king an inquiring look and Mickey decided that it was best to answer his question. "Cid's people have been working on adding an arm to the _Enterprise_ all mornin' and we're pretty sure we found the entrance to the Tower of Babil."

"So what's with the arm?" Jim asked with a bemused expression. Mickey chuckled a bit.

"According to Cecil, they had a hovercraft they left somewhere. We'll need the hovercraft to reach the Eblan Cave which will take us into the Tower of Babil." Mickey answered him and Jim nodded his head in understanding.

"And I'm guessing we'll need the arm in order to pick it up and drag it over, right?" Jim said with raised eyebrows and Mickey nodded cheerfully. Jim then jumped out of his bed. "All right then, let's get moving!" Together, the two off-worlders made their way down the steps of the tower where Jim had been sleeping and into the main hall of Baron castle where Rydia, Cecil, Rosa and Kain were chatting about their next course. Rydia waved a hello to Jim which he returned only halfheartedly.

"Well…I suppose His Majesty has told you about our next course of action." Cecil said and Jim nodded astutely. "Good, with Cid gone we were hoping you would fly the airship for us. You did pretty well out there."

"Oh yeah!" Jim said, cheering up quite a bit. With those words their decisions were made. The group of six left Baron Castle and boarded the _Enterprise_. It didn't take Jim very long to figure out how to start up the engine and everything so before long he had set off to the north in the direction that Cecil had indicated. Very soon they had come upon a great mountain known as Mount Hobs and, with Kain operating the claw and Mickey spotting below, they picked up the hovercraft, next plotting a course for the Southwest. The trip across the world only took about an hour in the airship and it probably would have taken longer if it had not been Jim Hawkins at the wheel. Regardless, as they reached the southwest continent they saw the great spires and turrets of the Tower of Babil extending to the sky and at the foot of it was a fallen castle in ruins.

"This is Eblan Castle…" Kain announced with sadness. "It seems to have fallen not two days ago."

"It looks so empty…" Rydia said. "Do you think anybody might still be in there?" Kain shook his head and snickered a bit.

"No…the Eblanese are ninjas, if memory serves me correctly. They would hide and prepapre to strike rather than fight right away for a lost cause." Kain told them and Mickey had a thought race through his head.

"Then maybe they're in those caves that lead to the Tower of Babil!" Mickey exclaimed cheerily and Kain nodded his head, as if accepting this theory. All six of the party gathered into the hovercraft and Cecil was now the one who operated it across the shoals that led to Eblan cave. The hovercraft itself, however, was not able to fit inside the cave so they disembarked outside of it and set off in a long dark trek through the caverns. The cave itself was rather gloomy and so Mickey summoned his Keyblade and lit the tip of it with light in order to keep everything fairly illuminated. They didn't know how far or how deep the cave delved but soon they realized that the cave was growing lighter; there were torch brackets on the wall.

"Halt, who profanes Eblan's territory?!" cried a commanding voice and the party suddenly stopped. In an instant, three people dressed in the black garb of a ninja leapt out and had them surrounded. No one spoke until Cecil stepped forward.

"My name is Cecil Harvey and these are my companions. We are seeking to enter the Tower of Babil and take back the seven crystals which have been stolen by Golbez." The ninjas looked at each other after Cecil's proclamation. Then they nodded and bowed to Cecil.

"You may pass…we had mistaken you for one of Rubicante's allies. Now we see that you are against him…but please, if you may, our prince is ahead, trying to deal with Rubicante. Help him if you can." Cecil agreed and the ninjas leapt back into the shadows. The party set off down the torch lined hallways where many doors were carved in until at last they reached a passage that took them out of the small makeshift town and back into the caverns. It took only five minutes before they saw the light waxing towards them and they began hearing a clamor of voices.

"We meet at last! I've been looking forward to this, Rubicante!" yelled a very haughty and young voice. Rubicante, whose voice they all recognized, gave a hearty laugh.

"Should I know you from somewhere?" Rubicante mocked of the man who was speaking to him, which they only assumed was the prince of Eblan. Their suspicions were proven correct as the rounded a corner.

"I'm Edge, the prince of Eblan!" cried the prince and Mickey froze. _Edge?_ Had he heard correctly? Was this man the very same that Alexander Garibaldi had met all those years ago? But he would have been but a child…but if this place was where he had gotten his name from…then this was the Blue Planet all along and Mickey had never known it. He didn't have time to dwell on it for long however.

"Eblan?" Rubicante said sneeringly to the prince. "I'm afraid I do not know the place of which you speak."

"The let me help you remember!" Edge cried and the party at last was able to see the prince. He was garbed in a white cloak with a black chestguard covering his upper torso and white pants guarding his bottom half. His hair was stark white and in his hands he held two long, thin blades that were the trademark of a ninja of Eblan. Edge flipped backward and quickly whipped some shuriikens out of his cloak, tossing them at the fiend of fire. Rubicante held his mantle cloaser across himself and the weapons glanced off. Edge grunted and then summoned a great rush of flames between his knives and sent it at Rubicante. But as the flames consumed Rubicante he laughed with mirth.

"Pitiful…allow me to show you real flame!" Rubicante yelled and everyone watched in horror as Rubicante opened his mantle wide and a great torrent of flame issued forth and hit Edge. Edge howled out in pain and toppled over before Rubicante ceased the offensive. Edge whimpered in pain, nursing the burn marks that covered his body. "You've strength worthy enough of pride, but not nearly enough to think of challenging me. Hone your skills. I'll look forward to facing you again when you have." And Rubicante disappeared in flames. Edge attempted to move, yelling for Rubicante to come back but he toppled over, gasping in pain. The group quickly ran up to him.

"Are you all right?" Mickey asked as they ran up. Edge pounded the ground and shook his head.

"I lost and he got away…of course I'm not all right!" Edge yelled angrily. Rydia looked taken aback by the young man's explosive anger.

"We came to find Rubicante too, and the crystals he holds." Rydia told him with her natural sweetness, but Edge paid no heed to it.

"Rubicante's mine! You stay out of this! I will put an end to him with my own hands!" Edge declared, trying to get up and move past the group, who had surrounded him. Kain's arm extended and latched onto Edge's shoulder.

"Your foe is an elemental archfiend, Your Highness, one of four whom Golbez controls." Kain told him with a glare at the young prince. "You've now seen his strength for yourself."

"Heh…Don't take me for some pampered young prince!" Edge yelled out. The Eblanese royal family is heir to secrets of the ninja masters of old. I don't need help from lesser men!" Edge had now finally managed to get up and once more tried pushing his way through until Rydia began crying. Jim turned to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Enough! I can't watch another person go off to die…first Tellah and Yang. And then Cid, too…All of them…all of them-" Rydia started choking out between tears, overcome with her grief and sadness. Edge stopped and looked at Rydia with some sense of embarrassment.

"H-hey…I didn't mean…" Edge said, stuttering through his words and Jim raised an eyebrow at him. Cecil approached Edge and looked him straight in the eye.

"Rubicante is the strongest of the four archfiends." Cecil said with determination and Edge stared him straight back in the eye. "Whether we can even hope to defeat him…I cannot say. But we have no choice! We must take back that crystal!" Edge looked at Cecil and then seemed to come to some sort of decision.

"It doesn't look like I have much of a choice. Besides, I can't leave pretty girl like that crying." Jim laughed at this statement and Edge snapped a glare to him that was slightly confrontational. The only move Jim made was that he took his hand of Rydia's shoulder. "All right, let's do this together, just this once."

"Hmph, too weak to stand and still as arrogant as could be…" Kain chuckled out. He turned to Rosa and somehow Rosa seemed to know what he was thinking. Rosa waved her arm across her body and a white light surrounded Edge, healing him of his burns. Edge looked his body over quickly and smiled.

"Thanks!" Edge stated cheerfully. "Well, now that we're all fast friends let's break into that tower, shall we?" And so, Edge took the lead of the group and led them straight into the tower from the caves exit. Sure enough, the architecture was the same and was very similar to what it originally was in the subterranean levels. There was only one problem…

"How do we get in?" Cecil asked with concern and Mickey spotted a door ahead of him. He quickly summoned his Keyblade as Edge smirked.

"Heh. You forgot that you're with a ninja of Eblan!" Edge said, but before he could say anything, Mickey had unlocked the door. Jim laughed.

"Or we could just use the door…" Jim snickered out and Edge glared at him with disgust. The group entered into the tower. The climb to the very top spire of the tower took an even longer time than it had to climb from the subterranean levels. At last however, they felt the were nearing the end. In particular, Mickey felt a great source of warmth that emanated from the crystals beyond a door. But standing in front of it were two people that no one ever expected to see.

"Father! Mother!" Edge cried at the sight of his parents. Edge's father certainly looked very much like Edge himself and Mickey would have almost sworn that they were twin images of each other, albeit the king was much older. The two stared at Edge and suddenly Mickey was tweaked a bit, as if something felt very off.

"Come Edge…" the queen said, her voice becoming very odd as she spoke.

"Yes, come with us…" the king said and a strange red mist began to cover his body. Edge took a step back in fright. "…to hell!!" Suddenly the red mist consumed them and in the king and queens places rose terrible creatures that struck at the party. Mickey flipped back and ran at them, slamming the creatures with the blunt side of his Keyblade and forcing them back. Edge had tears staining his eyes as he gazed upon what his parents had become…but they felt no such mercy. The coiled up and struck again and it was all Mickey could do to form a reflect shield that caused them to ricochet harmlessly away. Suddenly, in mid-attack, the duo stopped. "Edge…hear me while I can speak. We are no longer human and what we are has no right to live…Serve Eblan well my son."

Before anyone could react to the madness, the creatures before them surrendered themselves to fate and disappeared. Edge stared in shock at the place where his parents had just stood and in a great cry he fell to his knees in anguish.

"Such cruelty…It's inhuman!" Rosa spat, indignant. The moment of peace and silence did not last long as a rush of flame suddenly appeared before all of them and the form of Rubicante, towering and strong appeared. Edge's rage surfaced and he got up, glaring at the final elemental archfiend.

"Rubicante…for this…for this you will pay!" Edge yelled and Rubicante snickered.

"It was Lugae who made chimerae of your parents. I shared no hand in his perversities." Rubicante told the young Eblanese prince. "They shame me as they grieve you."

"Don't you speak of shame!" Edge said, whipping out his twin blades and brandishing them.

"I respect men like you…men with, courage. But you are a slave to your emotions and so will never know true strength." Rubicante said with, as he had indicated, respect. "Such is the curse of men." Edge bowed his head and stared down at his feet.

"You think our rage…a weakness?!" Edge cried and his head snapped back up, his blades crossed against his chest. "Then let me show you how wrong you are!!" Suddenly a great tide of blue energy surrounded Edge and crackled with an invisible shock as he smirked in Rubicante's direction. Rubicante chuckled.

"You are an interesting one indeed. Such powers, released by anger alone." Rubicante said, his eyes quirked at this interesting development and phenomena. "But they will not avail you! The frozen winds of hell's ninth circle could not penetrate this cloak of flame I wear. I will heal your wounds. Face me at full strength." Everybody in the group suddenly felt themselves healed as a great wall of flame surrounded them in a large diameter. Rubicante then jumped at them, whipping his mantle and hitting Cecil in the stomach. Cecil flew backward and landed with a grunt. Rosa ran over to him and hurriedly healed his wounds. Rydia summoned a powerful ice spell in her hands and sent it sailing at the fiend of fire. However, the ice did not affect Rubicante at all and merely made him chuckle with delight. Jim charged his gun and took aim, firing at the fiend. Rubicante moved in order to avoid the blast but it still grazed his shoulder.

Rubicante extended his long finger-nailed hands over the superficial wound and with some type of magic, the wound was healed. But Kain had wasted no time in going on the offensive. He leapt up into the air and came crashing down upon Rubicante. But the archfiend of fire was not so easily fooled and as Kain came sailing down he formed a large disc of fire between his hand and the dragoon sailing down at him. Kain landed on this and Rubicante began to up the heat, in hopes of incinerating the poor dragoon. But Mickey summoned light in his Keyblade and sent it hurtling at Rubicante's hand. The fiend's hand stung and he released the contact, allowing Kain to jump away. Rubicante grimaced, and then, with a wicked smile, he opened his mantle waide. Mickey noticed that this was the exact same thing he did when he took out Edge…and if he used it now they would stand no chance. Mickey made a move to Rubicante, but Edge was faster. With all sense of speed and dignity, Edge rushed in pummeled Rubicante in his now exposed torso. Rubicante pushed back and closed his mantle in order to defend himself. Mickey then noticed that the only way they could beat him would be by working together.

"Fellas, we gotta do this together!" Mickey commanded and all of them, including the impetuous Edge, turned to look at him. "Me, Cecil and Kain will charge him. Jim, Rydia, Rosa, distract him with your long range shots and Edge, keep that mantle from opening." Everyone nodded in understanding of their assignments. Jim immediately began firing off plasma shots at the approaching Rubicante while Rydia sent bubbles of water at Rubicante that only glanced off the surface. Rosa, meanwhile, was firing arrows at the fiend. Mickey nodded to Edge who ran forward and flipped behind Rubicante. Before Rubicante could react, Edge had pummeled him in the back and the other three were already en route. With their blades and spears moving lightning fast, they had downed Rubicante to the floor. Edge wasted no more time and he doubled back before sailing down and plunging straight into Rubicante's heart with his twin blades.

"That…was for my parents!" Edge declared and he stepped away, still brandishing his swords. Rubicante began to chuckle.

"Most interesting…you combine the strength of your hearts to defeat foes stronger than even yourselves. You are fine warriors indeed…Lord Golbez will find you no easy opposition. I pray the day comes that we can fight each other again…" And he faded away, the final chuckle on his lips. Soon after Rubicante passed, so did his wall of flame. Edge turned to the rest of them.

"So just who is this Golbez?" Edge demanded, his rage still affecting his demeanor.

"He is a man gathering the crystals in hopes of going to the moon." Kain stated simply.

"And he's Rubicante's master from what I know…" Mickey mumbled out but Edge's eyes had already widened at the statement before that.

"The moon?! He wants to go to the moon?! The one in the night sky?!" Edge asked insistently.

"A power is said to sleep there…one that could destroy the world." Cecil stated.

"But we won't let that happen. His Majesty and I have come too far to gather an army here and stop Golbez to let him get away with it now." Jim said. "I suppose we should say we're not of this world…but that's neither here nor there."

"So…everything that has been done has been at this Golbez's command…" Edge said, musing over this new development. "It must not go unpunished! Let's go get this Golbez!" Rydia quirked an eyebrow at him.

"You do know we came here for the crystals?" Rydia asked and Edge rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. Mickey let out a small chuckle, as did Cecil and Cecil took the lead to go through the door ahead of them. Within that room, the seven crystals were sitting, radiating their light and darkness respectively and Mickey felt as though there were a great power resting there. But as Cecil approached them, the crystals changed cues and suddenly felt different, as if it was a warning. Sure enough, as Cecil approached them, a trapdoor opened up from beneath them and the group toppled to the subterranean portion of the Tower of Babil. When they got up and examined their surroundings it was to find they were in an airship hanger of some sort with a great red airship, sitting all alone. Edge and Jim were overjoyed to see it.

"We can escape in this!" Edge cried out enthusiastically. Rydia dusted off her shoulders and looked disbelievingly at Edge.

"But it's an enemy ship." Rydia said without conviction.

"And I'm sure she'd much rather be flown by us." Jim said with a smirk. "Besides, I don't think it's a trap…all it needs is a name." Jim mused on this for a moment longer before Edge put his own input forth.

"How about the _Falcon_?" Edge suggested and Jim smiled. Everyone else rolled their eyes at this exchange as Jim fired up their new airship, and with manipulating the proper controls, blasted it out of the Tower of Babil and out into the Underworld. However, as Jim began sailing back to the Dwarven Castle, per Mickey's orders, he found that the ship was not able to travel across lava due to it having a very poor coating on the bottom. So they ended up taking a very long way back, but they arrived just the same. When they entered the main hall, Mickey ordered Cecil and the others to search for a way that they could get the airship to travel over lava while he and Jim went to go visit the dwarven king. When Giott saw them enter he perked up.

"You've returned, Your Majesty!" Giott said with a low bow, but Mickey waved it aside. "What of the crystals?"

"I'm sorry…but we failed…" Mickey said in defeat and Giott sighed heavily.

"What about the eighth crystal?" Jim inquired and Giott looked at him.

"Golbez has been hard at work attempting to acquire it…He is trying to force open the Sealed Cave's entrance and I fear it is only a matter of time before he succeeds." Suddenly Giott's eyes brightened. "Perhaps, all of you could go and remove the last crystal before he does."

"If ya think that would work." Mickey said cheerfully and Giott nodded with thoughtfulness.

"Yes…Luca!" Giott cried and soon a younger female dwarf entered the room, dressed in a pink dress and carrying a necklace made of beads. "Could I have your necklace?" Luca nodded and handed her father the necklace. Giott quickly tossed it to Mickey. "That is the key to opening the entryway to the Sealed cave…otherwise you cannot pass through it. Please, Your Majesty, I implore you to protect the final crystal."

"We will, I promise!" Mickey said with a smile and he and Jim ran off to find the others. It took them a while to find them through the labyrinthine halls of the dwarven castle. And when they had they were most alleviated for they found that Cid Pollendina was actually alive and well and was now working on the airship so that it could fly over lava. The process didn't take that long and before long the group of seven was back on the _Falcon_ and heading to the southeastern part of the Underworld, where Mickey was instructed that the Sealed Cave lied. When they reached that island, they disembarked and entered the cave. Mickey was about to use the necklace to open the door when suddenly, Rydia slumped to her knees from exhaustion.

"I'm sorry…I'm just really tired…we did a lot today." Rydia said, trying to excuse herself for her behavior. Cid shook his head.

"It's all right…perhaps we should rest." Cecil said and they all agreed. They gathered around in a circle in order to sleep although, no fire was necessary, and they all decided to get a bit of rest. And yet…barely any single one of them could sleep. Mickey decided to ask Edge something that had been irking him.

"Edge, did you ever know a man named Alexander Garibaldi?" Mickey asked and Edge considered him thoughtfully.

"The name rings a bell…I think my father knew him…" Edge said and then he nodded vigorously to himself. "Yes, I did know someone like that when I was a child, back when my father was the only well known Edward 'Edge' Geraldine of the family. I'm the second. Why do you ask?"

"He once said he knew your father and I wanted to make sure it was the right one…" Mickey said. "He was a good man…it was very sad when he died twelve years ago." Mickey added with sadness when Edge's look pressed him for more information. Kain leaned in toward the circle.

"Your Majesty…it appears you have quite a story to tell…while we rest, perhaps you would not mind telling it?" Kain asked and Mickey nodded, but before he could begin, Jim cut his own way in.

"If we tell you our story…will you tell us yours?" Jim asked and Cecil nodded. Mickey took a deep breath and so his story began.

King Mickey told the people of the Blue Planet, beginning with his training as a Keyblade wielder and the tragedy that had occurred between Terra, Aqua, and Ven at Sunset Horizons. Hen told them of his subsequent journey to Ansem the Wise, begging him to stop the horrible experiments of darkness on the heart, how they had not stopped and how Xehanort had become Ansem, Seeker of Darkness and the Nobody Xemnas. Mickey then went on to tell of the fourteen year old Sora, who found himself alone in Traverse Town wielding the mysterious Keyblade, how he had met up with Donald and Goofy in a search for his friends. He spoke of the tale of Riku's jealousy that led to the darkness crippling his heart and the great an mighty battle that raged within the young fifteen year old following that. The story continued on with the war against Organization XIII a year later.

Then Mickey began to speak of things such as Gentai Tanaka who had been gifted with the Keyblade and his struggle against the Heartless, Maleficent, and Terra thirteen years ago. That was perhaps the most painful part to tell, of how Sora had died as well as Gentai's mentor Hikaru…of how they had lost so much: Gentai's homeworld of Agradar, the kind girl known as Demora and how Gentai's heart lost it's way, giving rise to the Unbirths and a fresh reign of chaos before he ended his own life. Mickey's story ended with telling them of the current battle against Onyx with the help of the Order of the Crown and the story of Alexander "The Flaming Edge" garibaldi who had helped to form it. Everyone who listened, including Jim, listened in awe and Cecil had to shake off what he had just learned before picking up the thread of conversation again to tell the king of their own story.

Cecil's story began with his orders from the king of Baron, as the kingdom's dark night, to journey to Mysidia to appropriate their water crystal. Cecil had had misgivings about his actions there, but when trying to voice his discomfort he was stripped of the title of Lord Captain of the Red Wings and forced to depart with Kain to the town of Mist, where they slew a mist dragon before the ring they had been sent to deliver torched the village. Rydia, a small girl at the time, fled from them and in the ensuing chaos, Cecil and Kain were separated. Cecil took the injured Rydia to a town known as Kaipo and there they found Rosa who was ill with desert fever. Seeking a way to cure the fever, Cecil and Rydia journeyed to Damcyan, along the way meeting Tellah the sage and Edward, who was the prince of Damcyan. At Damcyan they learned of Golbez and his attempts to steal the crystals, destroying the kingdoms as he went.

But Cecil would not be stopped in his attempt to help Rosa, as they journeyed to the Antlion's Den and there found a sand pearl that healed Rosa. Together, the four members (as Tellah had departed to take revenge on Golbez) journeyed to Fabul, meeting yang and enacting a defense of the castle. However, the castle fell and Kain had betrayed them, taking the crystal as Golbez, who had shown himself, departed with Rosa. In an attempt to stop Golbez, the group of Cecil, Rydia, Edward, and Yang departed for Baron only to be attacked by Leviathan. Cecil washed ashore near Mysidia where he spoke with the elder who entrusted two fraternal twins, Palom and Porom to spy on Cecil while he went to Mount Ordeals to become a paladin. On Mount Ordeals, they met with Tellah again who had come to the mountain to learn the spell Meteor in an attempt to defeat Golbez. At the top of the mountain, Cecil became a paladin after facing the first of the elemental archfiends, Scarmiglione. The four then took the Devil's Road from Mysidia to Baron and rejoined with Yang before infiltrating the castle and defeating Cagnazzo, second of the four fiends. However, in their attempt to escape, Palom and Porom turned themselves to stone before Kain arrived, telling them to trade Troia's earth crystal for Rosa's life. Cecil, Tellah, and Yang, now joined with Cid aboard the _Enterprise_ had no choice but to accept the bargain. In Troia they found that Edward was okay and before long the earth crystal was in their grasp.

But the battle was not over and Kain's own airship guided them to the Tower of Zot, Golbez's believed fortress. As they neared the top, they faced more of Golbez's henchmen known as the Magus Sisters. They defeated them and pressed on. At the very pillar of the tower, Tellah faced Golbez and used the power of Meteor, loosening Golbez's hold on Kain (thereby turning him to normal) but destroying himself. Golbez, who had planned to kill Cecil just left. With tellah now gone, the rest rescued Rosa before encountering the third elemental fiend, Barbariccia. With her defeated they quickly returned to Baron and there Kain shared the information he had learned while under Golbez's mind control. Mickey knew what had happened from there. At the end of their story, Rydia was rested enough to keep moving and so Mickey used the necklace on the door and opened it wide.

The Sealed Cave went very deep and had lava streaming down its very walls in a very sinister fashion. The journey took a while too as some of the doors that they thought would help them turned out to be traps set to devour them. All in all, it was a very dark and gloomy trip to the very bottom of the sealed cave where at last they saw the wise and ornate doors that led into the crystal chamber. All seven of the people there were more than happy when they saw the crystal still floating there, safe and sound.

"Grab and go, Your Majesty!" Jim exclaimed at the sight of it and Mickey nodded with a smile. The small mouse ran up to the crystal and grabbed it. But when he did, something strange happened and Mickey no longer saw the crystal in front of him but a blank white space that was slowly clearing into a more lucid picture.

_"I am the wellspring of darkness…I am He who knows naught but hate." Cried a terrible voice from within the elucidating space. "Know suffering! Know death! My hate will not be staunched until it has consumed all else!" And suddenly the white faded away to reveal a ruin of a world. There were some yellow flowers blowing across the ravaged plain but for the most part, everything looked charred and broken. And yet, amongst the rubble, two figures stood. One was in a robe that was scorched and now blackened with soot with a mask over his face that was withered and torn. Mickey, from his vantage point, couldn't see the young man who stood opposite him, only that his hair was brown and had been grown to a very considerable length. In his hands was the Kingdom Key, held to bear against the other man._

_"Why do you not seek Sora? Wouldn't you want your revenge?" the robed man asked with a snicker and an underlying sinister strength. The young man shifted his body slightly._

_"I don't take base revenge…I came to stop you." The young man stated with determination and Mickey thought the voice sounded vaguely familiar. "And I won't go to Sora until I have!"_

_"You aim to take my revenge from me!" the robed man yelled with unimaginable fury. "You seek for a repentance that is not possible. Understand this, as your light wanes, my power waxes. And soon, my power will grow so great that the darkness will begin and consume all else and the light will be a thing of the past."_

_"I don't think so. My light will never wane from within my heart…" The young man's body became rigid as he held the Keyblade out, ready for action. "So, how about I just kick your ass?" He ran at the robed man who sent a torrent of lightning at him. The young man dodged the blast and the robed figure sent balls of fire which the other counteracted with a blast of ice. The young man then ran at the other figure and flipped into the air, preparing to bring his Keyblade down on a sword that had appeared from black lightning bolts._

Mickey stumbled backward as the connection broke. The crystal was still sitting there, sparkling with its hallowed light and Mickey just stared at it confusedly. Cecil picked up the slack and moved to take the crystal and nobody gave a second thought to Mickey's reaction save for Jim who gave the king an inquisitive glance. Mickey's look to Jim told him that they would talk about it later. So the party turned to leave the room. They moved in silence as Mickey mused on his thoughts. He had only known one person to ever have wielded the Kingdom Key and that was Sora…so who was this person wielding it now? Why did he seem so familiar to Mickey? Mickey wanted to spend time mulling over the subject but suddenly there was a rumbling and the walls around them began to move.

"The walls are moving!" Rydia exclaimed in fear. Kain whipped his spear out from behind his back.

"This cave was designed to protect the crystal…it must be a last line of defense!" kain said and everyone hurriedly took out their weapons. "We need to bring it down!" Nobody understood what Kain was talking about until they looked to see a rather large wall approaching them from behind with a great ugly head coming out of the stonework. Edge flipped backward and sent some shurikens sailing at it but they only seemed to glance off. Jim took aim with his blaster and kept firing at the wall, knocking off chunks of stone with each blow, but not enough to cause it to stop moving. Cecil and Mickey ran up and attempted to beat the stone head away but brute strength alone did nothing for them and even Kain slamming down on the wall from above did nothing to avail them. It seemed they would be smashed against the wall until Mickey and Rydia both had two separate ideas. Mickey ran at the wall and with all the magical energy he could muster, smashed through the very top of the wall to land on the other side. He then summoned energy in his Keyblade and sent it hurtling at the Demon Wall. It struck the wall in its backside and it began to crumble just as Rydia summoned Titan, which forced the Demon Wall to crumble to pieces and plummet to the floors below.

Wiping their brows over such a close victory, they proceeded to ascend to the base level of the Sealed Cave from where they had entered. Thankfully, the doors they had fought earlier to progress through were no longer possessed and as such, the journey to the top took less time for them to make it. But their victory was not to last, for as soon as they stepped foot on the entrance Golbez's voice suddenly boomed out.

"Kain! Return to me, my pawn! Deliver me the crystal!" Golbez commanded of the captain of the dragoons. Suddenly, Kain grasped his head in pain and collapsed onto the floor. Mickey understood what was going on: Kain, like Riku before him, must have been overtaken by feelings of jealousy and rage that he was an easy target for Golbez. But Mickey couldn't let that happen. He strode over to Kain.

"Kain, I know how you're feelin' right now…but ya gotta fight him!" Mickey said, putting a hand to his heart. "I know somebody who battled with the darkness inside of him just like you…and he pulled through. So can you!" Suddenly Kain stopped groping his head and straightened up, panting.

"It's all right, I'm back in control of myself." Kain said with a nod of his head. Mickey would have smiled…but he felt that something was still off. The suspicions were proven true when, faster than light itself, Kain sped up to Cecil and decked him across the face. He then kicked Cecil and withdrew the final crystal from the paladin's pocket. "Lord Golbez, the crystals are assembled! We can open the way to the moon at last!"

"Kain, get in control of yourself!" Jim yelled, charging up his plasma gun and aiming it at the dragoon. "You're not a traitor…don't make me do this!" Golbez's laughter sounded through the walls and Jim pulled his attention away for a moment.

"You underestimated my abilities. I had but slackened your friend's leash, waiting for the proper moment to pull it taut." Golbez boomed out with a great amount of mirth behind his statements. "Don't you understand, Your Majesty, the crystals share secrets and they have told me all about you and your attempts of light to win the heart…but light is nothing compared to the forces I command! Farewell, Cecil, Your Majesty, your doom is nigh!" And with that, the dark presence that had suddenly pervaded the room with Kain's possession was lost and so was Kain. Jim lowered his gun and holstered it and turned to the others who were left in absolute shock. But Mickey knew there was no time and so he quickly led the group out of the Sealed cave and back on the track to the dwarven castle. When they arrived, the first thing Giott asked them was how it went and whether they had the crystal.

"We failed…" Cecil said in a very disheartened voice and Giott slammed his fist on his throne. "Kain was reeled back in by Golbez and betrayed us."

"So he holds all of them now…" Giott grumbled out in anger. "Then there is nothing more we can do…unless the Legend of the Lunar Whale is true." Everyone now stared at the dwarf king dumbfounded. Clearly, none of them had heard of the legend ever before.

"The Lunar Whale?" Cecil asked, his curiosity piqued by what the Lunar Whale could be. Giott faced them.

"It is a great ship, said to have been built long ago in an age long past." Giott answered them, rubbing his temples with frustration. He gave a sigh. "Apparently this is the legend to go with it: 'Birthed from womb of dragon's maw'-" But that was as far as he got for Cecil cried out, as he was the only one who seemed to recognize those words.

"Those are the words of the Mysidian legend!" Cecil cried out and Giott's eyes widened considerably at the mention of this.

"You…You know of Mysidia?!" Giott exclaimed and Cecil nodded his head fiercely.

"It's a city of mages on the surface!" Cecil answered excitedly and a chord struck true in Mickey's brain. He had remembered Riku saying something about two members of the Order of the Crown having come here for some magic training…could that mean they had been in this Mysidia the whole time and never made any note of it? But Giott was now even more surprised than he had been before.

"Mysidia is real?!" Giott said and Cecil smiled at him saying that the elder of the said town of Mysidia had confined himself to the tower there in order to pray for them. "He prays…then…he may be trying to revive the Whale! No, he must be! It is the only hope that is left to us. You must hurry to Mysidia!" Giott commanded of them but Mickey scratched his chin as if trying to figure something out. But Jim spoke up first.

"Uhh…but that's up there, and we're down here. The Tower of Babil had all the crystals so that's a no go and we kind of sealed up the hole there when we escaped last time." Jim said with arched eyebrows, inquiring of the dwarven king as to what they should do in this situation with this apparently new information.

"Well, it's a good thing you've got me then isn't it?!" yelled a voice from behind them and Cecil smiled, turning to the owner of the voice. Cid came striding in, looking no worse than when he had jumped from the airship not two days ago. "Jim, I hope my baby's okay!"

"No problem there!" Jim said with a genuine smile. "We left the _Enterprise_ by Eblan so it should be safe there at least for a little while." Cid smirked at the twenty-nine year old and then put the idea he had forth.

"I'll attach a drill to that _Falcon_ of yours. Then you can burrow your way to the surface." Cid said and Rosa began to protest but Cid silenced her with a wave of his hands. "We've got bigger things to worry about that a few cuts and scratches!" And thus it was that everyone went to work on building a drill onto the _Falcon_'s bow. Edge at first just wanted to flirt with Rydia but Jim grabbed his ear and pulled him over to start helping, which made Rydia giggle. After a little bit, Cid had collapsed from exhaustion again and returned to bed while Jim fired up the engines of the _Falcon_ in order to blast to the surface.

"All right, people…to Mysidia!" Jim yelled and he whooped as he angled the ship up towards the patch of sky where it seemed that only rubble was holding it together. Mickey used his Keyblade to activate the drill and get it moving, as well as to keep the party safe from stray pieces of rubble, and before long they were back out into open sky. Following Cecil's direction Jim aimed the ship towards Mysidia and set down right outside the town where a huge tower rose up to the sky. They disembarked and entered. What Cecil had said rung true: the town was filled with mages left and right. But only two people ended up catching the king's attention.

"Your Majesty!" came a distinctly British voice. All of them turned in the direction of the voice and saw two figures hurrying towards them, one of them being rather reluctant about it. The one who had spoken was gangly with brown hair and wire-rimmed glasses while the other one was rather burly with tangly red hair. The man at front bowed quickly to Mickey. "Clive Dericus of the Order of the Crown. This is my partner Thomas Libravia…we'd no idea that you'd come here. Is something going on?"

"You could say that…" Jim muttered out. Clive cast him a very confused look. "We're here for the Lunar Whale…maybe you've heard of it. In the meantime, we're trying to build an army."

"Is there any way we can help?" Clive inquired of the king and Cecil stepped forward.

"Pardon me, but, though you may not owe your allegiance to me, if His Majesty would permit it, I would have you journey to Baron and rally the forces there. We promised His Majesty our support." Cecil said Clive nodded at this while Thomas remained silent behind him. Cecil then seemed to catch something out of the corner of his eye and the entire group save for Mickey and Jim moved off.

"You're searching for the Lunar Whale? The one in the Mysidian Legend?" Clive asked and Mickey nodded at the Keyblade wielder with a smile. "Well, all I know is this prophecy 'Birthed from womb of dragon's maw and borne unto the stars, by light and darkness cast aloft are dreamtide oaths resworn, moon is swathed in ever-light, ne'er again to know eclipse'…but that is all I know."

"What does it mean?" Mickey asked, his head starting to swim with all the information being pelted at him. Before Clive could answer a cry rang out from the top of the Tower of Prayer.

"Pray now with all your heart! Prophecy must be made reality!" cried a rather elderly voice and every in Mysidia, including the king and Jim turned to face the tower as winds gathered and clouds formed around the top of the tower. The sky seemed to darken and all other manner of any conversation was lost to the ears as the sky rumbled. Suddenly, lights shown brightly to the east and everyone looked there to see a great black ship that looked remarkably like a whale, rise from the surface of the water through a revolving whirlpool. Jim and Mickey gasped in awe before they heard, "She is risen! The promised ship of light, the Lunar Whale!!"

"_That's_ the Lunar Whale?!! It's bigger than most Gummi Ships or ships in general that we have at the Interstellar Academy." Jim said in awe as the sky began to clear and the sound began filtering back into existence within Mysidia. Jim looked to the Tower of Prayer and saw Cecil and the others emerging. "So, what's going on?"

"We're going to the moon." Cecil stated solemnly. "The Lunar Whale can take us there using a teleportation crystal on board. I trust you can figure it out, Jim."

"If I can't figure it out then I don't think anybody can." Jim said with laughter and they all laughed with him. The two Keyblade wielders excused themselves and made their way for the Devil's Road in order to go to Baron. Meanwhile, the party left Mysidia to find the Lunar Whale sitting there, idling. There was a large ramp and walkway made of metal that led onto the ship. The interior, if it was possible, was even more magnificent than the outside looked. Advanced machinery surrounded every inch of the ship and it was plated in chrome metal with a large crystal set in the center. Jim approached this crystal first and touched it. Suddenly, the ship jerked forward quickly but then stopped just as fast.

Mickey ran to the windows that looked out over the world and was surprised at what he saw. They were no longer on the planet below but on the moon above. When Jim had touched the crystal it had whisked them away to the moon. Mickey looked to the side to see some controls for manually flying the ship sitting there. Mickey pointed at them and Jim took control of them. He looked out the window as he steered.

"There, that palace should do." Jim said as he made to set his ship down near a large crystalline palace that sat on the surface of the moon. When they touched down, Edge led the group out of the Whale. Cecil soon took the lead and they entered the palace sitting in front of them. Inside was a beauty of architecture: a palace made of pure crystal and radiating light. Mickey somehow felt a calling within that very palace and here he felt warmth. Then a man, with long, white hair and a beard in white robes stood before them.

"At last, you've arrived…" the man said wearily, his voice even older than what the elder of Mysidia had sounded like. "Cecil Harvey, Lord Captain of the Knights of Baron, King Mickey Mouse of Disney Castle, and Jim Hawkins of Montressor…long have the crystals told me of your arrival."

"All right, so you know who we are, but what about you?" Jim asked with near indignity.

"I am Fusoya, and I am charged with watching over the slumber of the Lunarians." Fusoya told them wearily. The look on everyone's faces prompted Fusoya's next response. "Yes, we the people of the moon…Long ago, the world that lay beneath the Red Planet and the Great Behemoth stood at the verge of destruction, both terrible and complete. The last survivors of that devastation boarded a ship for the Blue Planet."

"Blue Planet?" Cecil asked in complete confusion. Mickey, however, was the one to answer.

"The one you fellas live on. I thought that was what it was called after I heard Edge's name spoken." Mickey answered Cecil and Cecil looked to Fusoya for confirmation and he nodded.

"Indeed, His Majesty is correct…but at the time, your planet was in the midst of evolution and so the travelers created a second moon for the planet, and there they have slumbered." Fusoya told the group. "Thus are we the ones called the Lunarians. However…there was one among us who was loathe to sleep."

"I bet I know who that is!" Mickey announced with revelation and Fusoya inclined his head toward him.

"Indeed, he felt that we should simply raze all life on the planet below and claim it for our own." Suddenly, Fusoya's voice was filled with a terrible wrath. "Thus, I was forced to use my power to force him into hibernation with the others. But as he slept, his will grew stronger and formed a consciousness of its own, reaching out to those with darkness in their hearts. This began years ago, when the darkness was still prevalent. Unfortunately, he latched onto them before the darkness disappeared and so they belonged to him. Through them, he began to gather the crystals."

"So he was manipulating Golbez?!" Cecil said in sudden recognition but before Fusoya could respond, Edge butted in.

"Does this guy have a name?" Edge asked of the older man. He sighed wearily before he answered.

"His name is Zemus." Fusoya answered.

"But what does he plan to do with the crystals?" Jim asked thoughtfully, unable to reason it out in his head.

"The crystals function as a source of energy, so it is my fear that Zemus plans to activate the interdimensional elevator within the Tower of Babil. With it, he can transport the Giant of Babil to your planet below and distinguish all life there."

"Oh no! We gotta hurry!" Mickey yelled out in a very rushed manner.

"Indeed, you must, but do not be mistaken. His will is not that of all Lunarians. We wait, slumbering peacefully until your planet's people progress to the point where we can treat one another equally." Fusoya stated with a smile.

"But what of the Lunar Whale? Where did it come from?" Cecil asked and Fusoya stared at him with a knowing smile.

"Ah, the ship…you see, my younger brother Kluya built that vessel long ago and flew it to the Blue Planet. He took with him several of our secrets such as the one's employed in your Devil's Road and your airships. You could call it a gift to your people." Fusoya said before he straightened himself up a bit. "Kluya was fascinated by your planet and wished to know more of it. And while he was there, he fell in love with a woman of your planet. She ended up bearing him two children, my nephews. One of them…was you, Cecil."

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Author's Note: Oh no! Drama! Intrigue! Cliffhanger!! And that one won't be resolved for a good five chapters. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. That will probably be the longest chapter I have ever written or will write. Now what could all these things mean? The crystals? The visions? Jim's special role that I mentioned here before? Well, you'll find them all out. Now, I want to take the time to say this: first I would like to thank Celeb'loki and Kawaii Tobi for favoriting this story but while that's great I'd like reviews from those who favorite as it is the only way I can improve in my writing and see whether I'm doing my job as a writer. Lord Moldybutt, you were correct about it being the Blue Planet but there wasn't much of a choice…Either way, I put so much work into this chapter that if you don't review I will forever consider you a cotton-headed ninnymuggin! On that note, please review and feel free to ask any questions, and always Dare to Be Silly.


	10. Chapter 9: Possible

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Kim Possible or the characters Mulan and Mushu from Disney's Mulan.**

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Chapter 9

Possible

"Man, this is gonna be just like old times, huh Mulan?" the red Chinese dragon said to his best pal in the seat of the _R.G.S. Paopu Winds_, Kairi's own personal ship that she used as a luxury ship whenever Sora wasn't onboard for an off-world visit. This was one of the first times that she had ever had somebody else onboard though. And to be very truthful, Mushu was more than enough to keep the place lively and colorful. Kairi smiled to herself as she took the helm of the ship and began to pilot it away from Radiant Garden. In all of their years as king and queen, Sora had at last taught her how to fly a Gummi Ship efficiently. It took a lot of coaxing (just as it had when she had to convince Sora to teach her how to fight) and at last Sora caved in, as he usually did to his wife. Granted, she wasn't nearly on the skill level that Sora was, or even Riku after all his time in the Order but she could still hold her own in an Unbirth ship battle.

"I guess so, Mushu…" Mulan said with a slightly worried look on her face. Kairi laughed at that; from what she heard, Mushu could be a real handful. "But calm down…I've never been to another world other than Radiant Garden and I have no idea what to expect."

"Man, that's a rain on my parade?! What could be more excitin' than visiting a new world and now your telling me to behave like a pet?!" Mushu asked indignantly. "I am a guardian dragon, Miss Bravest Warrior in China! I will not lie down and take orders like a-"

"Mushu, you do know there's some chicken dumplings in the kitchen?" Kairi asked, deciding to intervene before things got out of hand. Mushu suddenly froze and perked up.

"Chicken dumplings?" Mushu said, his dragon nose twitching ever so slightly. "Aw, man, here I come!" With that, Mushu went racing off of Mulan's shoulders and through the door. When Kairi peered out of the door as it closed she could see Mushu pelting down the hallway yelling happily. Kairi and Mulan laughed as Kairi quickly input the coordinates for the world and set them on warpspeed.

"So, what's this world like?" Mulan asked of Kairi. Kairi turned to her with a smile. For the most part they were friends, Mulan often asked advice from Kairi and due to her monthly visits to Radiant Garden for the Parliament meeting, the two women had come to know each other fairly well. That was probably the main reason that Kairi chose Mulan to come with her on this mission of collecting an army: she was the only woman that Kairi knew could fight well (and most of the guys were already teamed up anyway) and she was good friends with her. At Mulan's request, Kairi punched a few things in the Gummi Ship computer console. Tron had recently made some adjustments to the system and so it was now able to provide much more detailed information than it could before.

"Middleton…" Kairi breathed out. She knew that the world had been contacted to be part of the Parliament but at the time they had declined. Still, something else sat in the back of her mind. There was a memory there that wanted to come out but couldn't seem to give itself form. Well, if she couldn't remember it, it couldn't be that important. So she instead focused her energy to reading the description that Tron had uploaded into the star charts. "A friendly town in Colorado, home to teen hero Kim Possible and the worldwide organization Global Justice who spend their time defeating villains."

"Sound promising for warriors…" Mulan said with a nod of her head and Kairi couldn't help but agree more.

"I'd like to meet this Kim Possible. She's a teenager…and yet she helps to save the world. That might help us a bit in the long run here." Kairi said, stroking her own chin slightly. Mulan looked at her with confusion for a moment.

"Do you know where we might be able to find her?" Mulan asked and Kairi shook her head in slight defeat.

"I have absolutely no idea. I've never been to Middleton before so I couldn't tell you anything about the place. But…" Kairi's mind was racing and her brain was quickly forming an idea in her head. "Well, there's one place we would be able to go in order to find her, and every other teenager in the worlds practically: high school."

"High school?" Mulan asked with now utter confusion as to what was going on. "What is that?"

"Oh, right, I forgot that you don't have such a thing as high school on your world. Well, let's se…uh…" However, Kairi's mind was slightly frozen in trying to determine how best to explain the concept of high school to the warrior from the Land of Dragons. Then she struck a solid thought. "Think of it like this, high school is kind of like how men train to become soldiers and women train to become ladies on your world. The only difference is they have required classes and boys and girls learn just about the same things and we learn stuff like math and science. High school is the advanced level of all that stuff."

"Oh…I understand…I think…" Mulan said, but her face betrayed her true feelings and indicated to Kairi that this woman couldn't grasp the concept of high school unless she saw it for herself.

"Don't worry about it…" Kairi said with a wave of her hand. She quickly checked the dashboard to make sure they were well on their way to Middleton. It would still take a few hours and they would need to be well rested. "But Mulan, let's not try to hide our identity while we're there. From what I know, the last time both of us tried it we failed miserably. Heh, not to mention we have…"

"Man, those chicken dumplin's were right on , whoever your chef is that stocks this thing…I gotta get him on my payroll!" came the energetic of the spicy and fiery red dragon that was now entering the room after his very quick snack break.

"Mushu…" Kairi and Mulan sighed out. True, for combat, Mushu was the best to have around but in any other case he was a burden and a pain in the butt. That's why Kairi was glad she was able to think one step ahead of what was coming up and was instead working on what they would do to blend into a school culture this time.

"Anyway…before Mushu _rudely_ interrupted us." Kairi said with rolling of her eyes. Mushu got all steamed up and prepared to lash out at the queen of Radiant Garden but Kairi summoned her Keyblade and with a flick of it, managed to encase the dragon in a block of ice. "Let's leave him there till we're done. Maybe he'll listen to us after that. Anyway, I was thinking we're way too old to be students so we might as well just say were from other worlds and we're building an army and I'll try to get a job as a substitute teacher."

"Okay, what do I do?" Mulan asked of Kairi and Kairi smiled at her. She leaned back a bit in her chair and settled in.

"I need you to get the army together, I mean, depending on what we have to do of course. For example, the star chart readout says this Kim Possible faces villains, if she's currently involved in something then I'll help her out with that. That might take time so I'll need you for the army."

"That works well. After all, we are trying to collect some villains as well aren't we?" Mulan asked and Kairi nodded but both felt the air in the room tighten as though neither of them were particularly happy or keen on this alliance in the first place. But nothing more needed to be said so Kairi sat up again and came out of her chair.

"Well, if that's all, I'm going to get some sleep!" Kairi said cheerily and she turned toward the door, summoning her Keyblade again in order to thaw out Mushu. But Mulan quickly called her back before she had the chance to do anything. Kairi turned to her with an expectant look, wondering what she was calling her for.

"I, uh, I had been meaning to ask you and Sora but since Sora's not here right now and this is the first time we've really had to…" Mulan tapered off but Kairi knew what she wanted to talk to her about.

"It's about children?" Kairi asked with a grin on her face and Mulan nodded. "Look, I went through the same thing with Sora…but Mulan, if you want one go for it. They are…well, they can be serious pains but for the most they're joys. Watching my son crush on a girl is one of the cutest things ever and Demora, well, she's mostly a handful. Ironically, Sora gives attention to her and I think she learns a little too much from him." Ulan nodded, however she still seemed slightly burdened by her question.

"I guess you're right…" Mulan said heavily. Kairi strode up to her and placed her hands on Mulan's shoulders.

"I know I'm right. They're wonderful things so…talk to Shang when we get back to Radiant Garden, I'm sure Leon dispatched contacts to there." Kairi said and she withdrew from Mulan. Without another word she thawed Mushu and strode from the cockpit to her own quarters in the massive ship. For a few minutes she stared up at the ceiling thinking about the past two days. She rolled over and just wished that Sora were beside her as he had been for the past twelve years. But that was a luxury denied to her right now and she would deal. In a few moments she had drifted off to peaceful sleep.

When Kairi awoke, she found both herself and Mulan to be absolutely refreshed and the Gummi Ship hovering in orbit around Middleton. She looked to Mulan and Mushu who nodded (Mushu punctuating his remarks with a yell of triumph) and they both entered the beaming area and beamed down onto the planet below. The first place they landed outside of was, ironically, a building that had a great large billboard next to it stating _Middleton High_. Kairi chuckled to herself and motioned the other two towards the doors of the institution.

"So this is a high school?" Mulan asked in impressed awe. Kairi laughed when she saw that and took her eyes off of where she was going to speak to Mulan.

"Yeah, well, if you were here for four years learning subjects, taking part in extra-curricular activities, and watching two boys called Sora and Riku make utter fools of themselves for the better part of four years you wouldn't be so impressed." Kairi said with a playful glint in her eyes.

"Yeah, this place feels like mausoleum." Mushu said, tossing his arms into the air. Kairi inclined her head a bit, but it didn't last very long for soon she ran straight into an imposing figure that was standing in the middle of the hallway. Kairi backed up and looked at him. The man's name was Steve Barkin, principal of Middleton High (and the guy who managed to substitute practically every class there). He was dressed in a horrid brown jacket over his plain white and collared shirt and his black tie and pants did nothing to make his fashion statement any better.

"Excuse me, miss, but are you lost?" Barkin snapped at them and Kairi arched an eyebrow at the man, showing absolutely no fear of him. "I am Principal Barkin and nothing, I mean, _nothing_," He got up close to Kairi's face as he said this and she stood back a bit. "Passes through this school without my knowledge."

"Okay, one, I am a Mrs., not a miss, married!" Kairi held up the finger containing her wedding band. Her eyes glinted as it did in the fluorescent lights of the school. "Two, did you ever hear of a breath mint? And finally, I am Queen Kairi of the world of Radiant Garden who has come here to form an army for an impending war. Principal Barkin, let me put this clearly for you, I need a job to find some warriors and you're gonna give it to me." However, despite Kairi's stern attitude that she adopted later in the statement, Barkin was already cowering. Kairi glared at him and he shied away.

"Y-you're an alien?!!" Barkin yelled in absolute fright and Kairi smacked her head to her forehead. She walked up to Barkin, who was now on the ground in sheer terror, and picked him up, brushing off his jacket.

"I'm not an alien. I'm an off-worlder. I'm human, just like you." Kairi said. "So, about that job?"

"Uh, yes, well, as you are a supposed foreign dignitary I could give you a job during your stay here…but, uh, class is out. You can start tomorrow. Meet me in my office, right down the hallway." Barkin said before he quickly began to hightail it out of there screaming shrilly at the top of his lungs. Kairi rolled her eyes and smiled at Mulan.

"That works I guess. Let's get going." Kairi told her friend and Mulan giggled slightly. So Kairi set off to explore the school that Barkin would have offered her had he not supposed her to be an alien. She had barely made it very far when a great red and white blur simply blazed past her and knocked her over.

"Oh, dude, I'm sorry!" cried a slightly nasally voice. The voice was coming closer though and Kairi looked up to see a young seventeen year old boy with blonde hair, freckles, and clothes that looked much too big for him standing in front of her, offering her a hand. "Whoa, you look too old to be a student…not that that's a bad thing! Heh!"

"I'm the new substitute teacher, Kairi." Kairi said, taking the boys hand and allowing him to pull her up. When Kairi was steadied, they shook each other's hands. "That's my friend Mulan and her guardian dragon Mushu. We're from another world."

"Nice!" the blonde boy said with swagger and approval. "And, y'know, not many teachers introduce themselves to us by their first names."

"Well, I'm different. Anyway, we're here trying to build an army and-what the heck is that?!" Kairi screeched as a small pink mole rat seemed to poke its head outside of the teenage boy's pocket. It wasn't that Kairi thought it was gross, it was more the fact of that she was surprised that it made an inhabitable living inside this boy's _pocket_! Mushu had the opposite end of enthusiasm.

"Dude, is that a mole rat?! I haven't seen one of those things since the head ancestor made me hunt them all down." Mushu said with a snicker and the mole rat squealed loudly, uttering a small "Oh no" before darting back into the boy's pocket. "Relax, little mole rat, I didn't do it."

"That's true…" Mulan grimaced with disgust etched onto her face. "Instead he gave them a room in our house!" Mushu just waved his hand as if swiping aside the subject. The blonde boy however, was not fazed by this conversation in the slightest.

"Oh, come on Rufus, the dragon is not gonna eat you." He said and the small naked mole rat popped back out and glared at Mushu. Mushu hopped down from Mulan's shoulder and jumped onto Ron.

"I'm the guardian dragon Mushu, what do you say to that?!" Mushu said, offering his clawed hand. Rufus considered it for a moment and then shook it and the two creatures suddenly became fast friends.

"Boo-yah!" the blonde boy said and Kairi giggled, shaking her head a bit. "By the way, I'm Ron, Ron Stoppable. You might have heard of me? I frequently team up and help teen hero Kim Possible save the world on a near day-to-day basis."

"Well, I've heard of you now. And come at it, I'm glad to have met you Ron. Our star charts mention Kim Possible and we thought she might be helpful if she'd join us for our battle." Kairi said with a genuine smile. Ron smiled, if anything, wider and brighter than Kairi did.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure she'll help. She always has to prove herself, you know." Ron said with a great big grin. "Well, at least she'll help out after we finish stuff here. I should be able to convince her though, I mean we're tight."

"Boyfriend and girlfriend?" Kairi asked with a playful smile and immediately, Ron went on the defensive, waving his hands in front of his face. Because of that, Kairi instantly knew that though there was nothing going on, Ron wanted there to be something.

"No, no, we've been best friends since for ever but not…not that." Ron finished kind of lamely after his massive explosion. "Well, anyway, I was heading to meet Kim right now at Cheer Practice so follow me!" Ron said and he began to lead the two older women through the hallways. Kairi was actually getting excited upon hearing the words "Cheer practice". She herself had been a cheerleader for most of her high school year (particularly her last three years) and as such was put up on that lofty status. But it wasn't the status that was the reason for her to enjoy cheerleading; it was everything else. Mulan, however, was just as confused as ever.

"Cheer practice, what's that?" Mulan asked and Kairi sighed, turning to Ron.

"Ron, do you know anyone who would be able to explain all of the facets of high school to Mulan?" Kairi asked and Ron seemed to be thinking about it for a moment, pushing aside the fact that he was totally perplexed. "Mulan doesn't have high school on her world."

"Oh, sign me up!" Ron said with relief. "I cannot stand high school what with all the jocks and labeling and oh, don't get me started!"

"Sure, we'll send you to my world. Instead of high school, you can defend my country from invasion on a daily basis." Mulan said with a smile and Ron instantly shut up about not wanting to go to high school.

"On second thought, I think I'll pass." Ron said and he went back to thinking about how to answer Kairi's question. "You could meet with Monique, we're meeting with her at Bueno Nacho." Kairi nodded and the three fast friends proceeded on in silence until they began to approach a large pair of great big brown doors that led into the gymnasium…but Kairi could hear angry voices issuing forth from the gym.

"Face it, all the remotely acceptable guys are taken!" yelled a very mean and scalding girl's voice.

"Is there some deadline I don't know about?" asked a different voice, a bit warmer than the first but Kairi would suppose that in this situation it would be mean.

"The Prom?!" came the other voice quickly, clearly pointing out and obvious fact.

"Oh, it's just another dance." Said the other person, not accepting this realm of her fate.

"Talk about _the_ dance. Who you go with is, like, crucial! You're looking at captain of the chess squad-" Suddenly, Ron sped up a bit more, as though he didn't hear the prior conversation, and burst through the door.

"Hey KP, do we have a date with Bueno Nacho or what?!" Ron yelled as he sped into the gym and Kairi was only just able to hear the ending line of the conversation between a very mean looking, brown-haired girl and a nicer looking, but very angry at the moment, red haired girl with luminous green eyes.

"Or worse." Kairi glared at the girl. She didn't like this girl at all. But as Kairi noticed the girl, she noticed them. "Oh my God, who brought the loser brigade?" In a flash, Kairi summoned her Keyblade.

"Don't you dare call me a loser?!" Kairi said. "It's Queen Kairi of Radiant Garden and don't you forget it!" Mushu leapt up as well to defend Mulan in Mulan's own stead.

"Yeah, and no one calls the bravest warrior of China a loser. And I'm a guardian dragon, so don't you go disrespecting me!" Mushu yelled out angrily and the girl with brown hair shrieked suddenly.

"There is a lizard in the gym!!!" she screamed and many other girls except for the one with red hair began squealing and Mushu narrowed his eyes at the group of girls.

"I am a dragon! Not lizard. I don't do that tongue thing!" And Kairi laughed and dismissed her Keyblade as Mushu suddenly slithered his tongue out and brought it back in. Rufus the mole rat began laughing uncontrollably as many of the girls went running off in fright of the skinny red dragon. The redhead was the only one remaining.

"They're easily scared." she said with a smile and she extended her hand out to Kairi. "Are you a new teacher. I'm Kim Possible." Kairi took her hand and shook it while smiling.

"I'm Kairi, queen of Radiant Garden-" Kairi began but before she could say anything more, Ron instantly got in the ballgame to tell Kim Possible all about Kairi and Mulan's intent in their visit here.

"Yeah, which is another world. And that is totally super cool! Yeah, but KP they're here to build a big army for a war…whatever that means, so could we do it?! Please KP, please!!! It's not often you get to see another world." Kairi felt yet another smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. Ron reminded her quite a bit of Sora in the way that he was always ready to do stuff and was never embarrassed for his goofy actions.

"Sure…I guess, I could even contact Global Justice for you. They have plenty of agents trained for this stuff. But, I'll need to do it in about a week. Prom is coming up and I totally can't miss it." Kim said with a glint in her green eyes and Kairi nodded in complete understanding. But Ron was, once again, not at a loss for words.

"And we're trying to hunt down Drakken which has become surprisingly not easy." Ron pointed out and Kim nodded a bit, agreeing with her best friend. "So do you guys like need a place to stay or what?"

"We might." came the short and simple answer from Mulan rather than Kairi and the group left it at that while Kim headed to the dressing room in order to change out of her purple, red, and yellow cheerleading outfit. The other trio got to know each other a bit better and actually decided that Mulan would be immersed in the high school culture with this Monique girl while Kairi would meet with Kim's parent and tweebs (twin dweebs) and stay at her house. When Kim finally emerged, she readily accepted this. On that note, the four of them (excluding Mushu and Rufus who were with their respective owners) left Middleton High and headed towards Bueno Nacho, whose appearance caused Kairi to laugh.

Bueno Nacho was a great round restaurant serving items such as the Naco (combination nacho and taco), the chimerito, some salads among other things that were widely Mexican-based. On top of this restaurant was a great big sombrero that covered the majority of the building. Standing outside the building was a girl with long black hair wearing a red outfit and had ebony-colored skin. This was Monique, the one Kairi had been hearing about. All of them instantly got acquainted and Monique agreed to help Mulan staring tonight after the stay at Bueno Nacho; after all, not only could she learn about this world…but with those contacts she could also help build the army. before long, Ron had dashed off to order, Mushu screaming hungrily for food right after him and the four girls gathered around a booth.

"So, you said you're a queen, Kairi?" Kim asked of the other red-haired beauty at the table. Kairi nodded and decided it was best to answer and explain.

"Yeah, my husband is the king of Radiant Garden, the world we come from. We're pretty much the leader of all the worlds and have formed a Parliament of Worlds. However, we answer to one kingdom alone and that is the kingdom of Disney Castle which is ruled by His Majesty King Mickey." Kairi said and the two Middleton resident nodded their heads in approval. "Right now, we're in the middle of a war so we're traveling and picking up warriors."

"Girl, sounds like you got it good _and_ rough. So what's it like living in a castle?" Monique asked, clearly excited and Kairi chuckled at this.

"Big. Thankfully, my husband had our friend Genie install secret passages that let us get places more efficiently." Kairi said but then she decided she wanted to get to know more about the people here. "So, Kim, who was that girl you were arguing with in the gym?"

"Oh, Bonnie…" Kim fumed off and Monique looked at her expectantly, as if asking for information. And Kim decided to divulge. "She was going on about the food chain and how cheerleaders have to date top stars of the football or basketball team." Then, in an extremely low whisper she added, "And how Ron is worse than a member of the chess squad."

"Girl, that is flawed." Monique said with a wave of her hands. Kim shied back a little bit.

"I know, but what if Bonnie has, in her own stupid way, a point." Monique looked absolutely taken aback by Kim's sudden proclamation. "I'm weirding guys out Monique. They see me on TV roundhousing some goon out a window…it's a vivid image."

"Kim, you are a strong, independent woman. Any brother afraid of that is not worthy of your time." Monique stated simply and Kairi nodded, deciding to put in her own opinion.

"My husband loves me for me, and that includes the fact that I can sometimes kick his butt in battle…although that is few and far in between. So, if they don't accept you for you, they're not worth it." Kairi said with a smile.

"I know…" Kim said, acceding to their comments. "But is there anything worse than going to the prom with your 'just a friend'?" Kim added with a glance toward Ron and even Monique looked in that direction.

"And his naked mole rat?" Monique said with a smirk and Kim nodded before scowling.

"I mean, a date 'date' would be nice…a stinkin BF." Kim said in a very complaining tone.

"You're lettin' Bonnie play you." Monique pointed out and Kim got all on the defensive."

"Am not."

"What good is saving the world if you don't have someone to share it with?!" Monique said in a simpering tone and Kim at last deflated.

"Okay, a little. Just once, I'd like to make Bonnie eat her words!" Kim said defiantly and Monique tilted her head a bit as Ron started approaching the table.

"They are low carb." Monique said with a bit of a chuckle behind the comment and Ron had at last reached the table.

"KP, life as we know it has changed forever. Naco night is no more." Suddenly both Ron and Rufus started to cry, even Mushu joined in even though he had only been here for odds on about an hour. "Oh, and I need three more bucks." Kairi rolled her eyes when suddenly she heard a beeping coming from Kim's side of the booth. Kim reached into her bag and pulled out a small blue, rectangular device. As Kairi chanced a look at it, she saw there was a viewing screen which soon showed a chocolate colored boy with black curly hair on the screen.

"What's up Wade?" Kim quickly asked and the boy, Wade, had a slight smile on his face.

"Drakken's been spotted: Bermuda Triangle." Wade said and he immediately disconnected.

"I guess you two gotta go, don't you?" Monique said and Kim smile apologetically before she got out of the booth. Kairi and Mulan stood up with her at the same time.

"Mind if we tag along? We have some moves to be reckoned with." Kairi said with a sincere smile and Kim heartily agreed. Monique told Kim to help Mulan to her house when they got back and the four of them set off for the Bermuda Triangle, which happened to be a rather fancy restaurant. However, this restaurant was run by Big Daddy Brotherson, a low scale criminal and so, it was clearly the perfect place for Drakken to plan whatever evil he was planning. As the group of four headed to a boat owned by Mr. Bailey that would allow them to infiltrate the restaurant, Kim told them about Drakken: a villain with blue skin who often tried to take over the world…and failed just as often. He was often accompanied by Shego, a green woman with glowing green hands.

When they had met up with Mr. Bailey, Kim and Ron put on Scuba gear but Kairi refused to do so. Kim tried to argue with her, saying that it was the only way to reach their destination but Kairi proved her wrong by using the permanent pixie dust that Tinkerbell had given her at her and Sora's wedding. Kim accepted this face and she, Ron, and Rufus set off. Kim easily flew Mulan and Mushu over to the beach where they were to meet Kim and Ron and waited for about twenty minutes when they at last surfaced.

"Think they're trying to keep us out?" Ron asked, a little too loudly for an infiltration. Kim quickly shushed him and changed, Ron covering his eyes as she donned a purple dress and put on a black colored wig.

"Okay, so you're sure Drakken is here?" Kairi asked, making sure of her facts and Kim nodded. "All right, well, since you two are undercover and since nobody here knows us…me and Mulan will go in through the front door." Kairi waved to a completely nonplussed Kim and Mulan giggled.

"We'll meet you there." Mulan said and they quickly made their way to the front of the restaurant. It didn't take too long and soon they were inside. Once again, Kairi's foreign royalty status granted her entrance to the restaurant with little effort and soon they were in and looking around. It was a pretty nice place too, with a shiny black piano and a shimmering chandelier. Kairi was rather impressed by the place, and that was _after_ living in a castle for twelve years. She only had a few minutes to look before Kim emerged behind them and joined up. She took out her Kimmunicator (the blue device that Kairi had seen earlier) and activated it, bringing up a picture of Wade. Kim quickly (and this was _very_ quickly) introduced all of them to each other before they got down to business.

"Any sign of Drakken?" Kim asked and Wade responded in the negative. But Kim already had the next question planned. "Shego?"

"Behind you!" Wade yelled and suddenly, Kairi saw a great green flame alight behind her and she leapt backwards, summoning her Keyblade in a flash. Kim's wig was now destroyed and she was attempting to evade Shego who was dressed in a black and green dress and had long black hair. Kairi looked to Mulan and they nodded, running forward. Kairi sent a shard of ice at Shego and it grazed off of her skin. She was momentarily distracted as she turned to look at Kairi. That was when Kim made her move and kicked her in the gut. Shego flew backward and Kairi leapt in the air in an attempt to bring her Keyblade down. But Shego placed her hands on the ground and flipped backwards before rushing forward, her plasma filled hands, quickly coming into contact with Kairi's Keyblade.

"Oh, and who are you? Her Majesty?" Shego asked with a snicker and Kairi pushed her Keyblade forward.

"Actually, I am." Kairi grimaced and she swept her feet at Shego, knocking her over. But Shego swiped upward in an uppercut. Kairi blocked it with the Keyblade as Shego took more swipes at her. Kairi blocked or evaded all of them expertly. Finally she saw an opening and took it. She whipped around with quick speed and hit Shego with the blunt side of the Keyblade and forcing her upward and onto the chandelier. But Mulan had already thought ahead, and when Shego landed there the first thing she saw was Mushu.

"Wha…who are you?" Shego asked with utter confusion.

"I'm a guardian dragon!" Mushu cried and soon a pepper of fireballs emerged from his mouth, beating on the cord that held the chandelier to the ceiling. Soon it snapped and Mushu hopped down below. Kairi raised her fist to the air in victory but then she noticed something that was a little off.

"Where's Ron?" Kairi asked. That momentary lapse of attention was all that Shego needed. She came at her quickly, and with one kick, nailed Kairi in the gut. Kairi went flying and slammed through two sets of double doors and onto a table. She also heard a slam of some kind of chips.

"Kairi!" she heard Ron's voice yell. She got up and saw Ron surrounded by a bunch of angry guys who he had clearly been playing cards with. Kairi flipped up and grabbed Ron's hand. She quickly dragged him back to the main room where Shego was now battling it out with both Kim and Mulan. But Kairi knew they needed assistance. Ron came up with an idea first. He quickly grabbed a cart full of food and shoved it toward Shego. But the momentum wasn't enough and so Kairi used her magic to slam the cart straight into Shego. Kim quickly ran up to her and grabbed her.

"Where's Drakken and what's he up to?" Kim demanded and Shego began laughing.

"Yeah, like I can understand his _whacked_ plans." Shego chuckled out when suddenly a new voice entered into the cacophony.

"Shego, time to fly." came the voice and Kairi whipped around to see the blue visage of Dr. Drakken who pressed a button and blew out part of the ceiling. Shego quickly threw Kim off of her and sprinted toward Drakken who was getting on a small disc attached to a helicopter.

"Later Princess, Your Majesty!" Shego yelled out.

"It's Kairi!" Kairi yelled but it was in vain for they were already flying away. They had failed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next day, Kairi began her subbing at Middleton High. She taught gym for the most part and was forced to sign Ron's petition to reinstate Naco Night at Bueno Nacho which had only been hacked because of new management. Still, Kairi thought things were going rather well. Mulan was already visiting Global Justice to help build the army and during off-time, Monique was teaching her the ropes of high school: the two were becoming very fast friends. Kairi in the meantime had made progress at the Possible's home where she had met Mr. Dr. P and Mrs. Dr. P, as Ron frequently called them. They stated that they had once had a visitor from another world before and he was the nicest boy anyone could meet. Kim, however, did not share this opinion. Regardless, the Possibles welcomed Kairi with open arms and had even agreed to join their army due to their vast knowledge of the brain and rocket technology. And that was what ultimately led Kairi to be sitting at home around four o'clock that afternoon on the day she started teaching. James Possible was watching baseball and chatting amiably when Kim entered the room.

"Dad, we need to talk." Kim said and both Kairi and Dr. Possible faced her simultaneously. "It's about boys…" And that was where the conversation between father and daughter ended. James cast a quick look to Kairi and she seemed to get the hint. Kairi had spoken about her own family and her twins who were more than a handful (which was why she didn't mind the Tweebs Jim and Tim). So, Kairi walked with Kim up to her room.

"Okay, so Bonnie's going out with Brick Flagg, the school quarterback, so she's all high horse and she's all boys and the stupid prom and…and…and I'm gonna be stuck with Ron!" Kim yelled out exasperatedly.

"Isn't Ron your best friend though? I mean, he seemed like a pretty cool guy to me." Kairi said, though in reality it was just the fact that Ron reminded her of Sora.

"Yeah but he's…Ron…" Kim explained and Kairi chuckled at this. Kim threw a scathing look to her and she immediately ceased. "Look, who you go with…it makes a statement."

"I know that. I had Junior Prom once too. I dumped my boyfriend at the time for his best friend before I realized I wanted my old boyfriend back. We were best friends since we were five too, and now we're married. Look, just because Ron isn't high on the 'food chain' or whatever you call it doesn't mean anything." Kairi said and Kim just sat back and thought about that. In fact, she thought about it the whole evening as she was silent during dinner as well. The next morning however, it seemed she had come to a decision that displayed itself clearly when both Kairi and Kim met up with Monique and Mulan.

"Monique, you were right." Kim said with a smile to her best girlfriend.

"I know…about what?" Monique asked in confusion. Clearly she considered herself right about so many things that she didn't know what Kim was talking about.

"The Bonnie problem. Non-issue." Kim stated and Monique smiled at her, telling her to "Stand by her Ron". Ironically, that was the moment they approached Ron and saw him moving at the speed of a snail on a scooter. Kairi laughed when she saw it as Mushu clambered over to Rufus and started playing cards in the basket. The girls just ignored him and moved onto school…well, Mulan moved back onto Global Justice. School started going by even faster that day as Kairi started putting Bonnie through her paces in gym as payback for calling her a loser. At long last, however, lunch had come and both Kairi and Mulan (who had taken a lunch break as well) went to the cafeteria where Monique and Kim were eating. They sat down and ate with them and soon Ron arrived…but someone else was behind him.

"Well, why don't you take a seat Erik-" Ron began to say, but the nicely dressed, black haired by beat him to the punch and quickly sat in the chair next to Kim. "Well, isn't that interesting…usually that's my chair…not that my name's on it…"

"Erik, hi. How you doing?" the boy asked and suddenly, Kim seemed to freeze in place. The tension also ratcheted up, though only she seemed to notice it. Both Monique and Kim were completely blown away by this boy and Ron was, to say the least, jealous. Kairi immediately excused herself from her chair and moved out of the lunch room. Mulan cast her strange looks but figured she was just going to the bathroom.

But Kairi was doing no such thing. Ron liked Kim…Kim didn't realize it. Now this boy was entering into the picture. Kairi knew who she wanted to see together…and she felt something strangely odd about that boy. That was why she needed help. Help that only one person could give.

**

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Author's Note: Okay, that was longer than I expected. I hope you enjoyed…but who is Kairi getting help from? In any case, I want my next update to be on Monday but it might not happen. Also, I finally finished setting up every Disney world and now we begin winding down said worlds in the next few chapters so hold tight. I also updated my profile page with a better summary of Illusion's Heart and a new poll I need you guys to vote on. Just as well, I've begun formatting a timeline in years and dates for easier placement of stories during the Tales of Existence (hint: Fear takes place during the year 2028). Lastly, for those of you who do not know it has been 181 days since I began this trilogy making it six months and therefore the halfiversary of this trilogy. Heh, 73 chapters in 181 days…quite a lot. So this is a Happy Halfiversary of this trilogy hurrah! Now please, pretty please, review and Dare to Be Silly.


	11. Chapter 10: Old Friends

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom hearts or Kim Possible and I guess I don't own much else but I wish I owned Days.**

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Chapter 10

Old Friends

Leon strode through the marble-tiled corridors of the castle at Radiant Garden as he proceeded to the study. Even after all of these years, it was still known as "Ansem's Study" despite the amount of time that Sora spent in there during the course of all his work They all knew it was out of deference to Ansem and the work he did, not to mention he was Kairi's father and had dedicated a year of his life to restore Sora's memory back to what it was now. However, the study was still changed in some way. Leon had taken down the portrait of Xehanort long before Sora and Kairi were coronated as king and queen. In its stead was the portrait of Ansem the Wise. However, many of the diagrams that explored the heart had been discarded and burn so "no record of such horrific experiments could exist again" according to Kairi. She never wanted to remember her father as the man who accidentally brought about the age of the Heartless.

Still, there were plenty more changes to the study such as a picture of Hikaru that was hung next to his father. Leon got the picture from the camera shots that Tron had managed to get when he and Gentai had paid a visit by crash landing in the marketplace. That always caused Leon to chuckle when he saw the picture. But he pushed on and opened up the hidden room that led to the actual computer. Often, Sora would come in here with different laws as well as to spend time with Tron, but today was a little more different than that. Leon accessed the computer and put his own access code in.

"Greetings Master Leon, how may I help you today?" came Tron's bright and bubbly voice for a computer. Leon smirked and pulled up the chair that Sora had placed in there, placing himself at the keyboard.

"Tron, star chart please." Leon said nonchalantly and Tron immediately obliged. The hologram projector behind Leon activated and soon a huge display of all the worlds in the galaxy was displayed in front of him. "Further detail. Alliance system."

"Done Master Leon." Tron said quickly and he wasn't lying. For the most part worlds were lit with either green or yellow. There were only two worlds lit up in red currently. One world was no longer even there so it didn't concern Leon and nor did the other one since that one represented the world of Agradar. What did disturb him about it, however, was that it was _blinking_ red. No scouts had been dispatched there at all by the Order as Riku knew its current state so why was it blinking in distress. The world was dead, why would there be anything there. Tron, ironically, seemed to understand why Leon was so silent. "It was but a few hours ago that a distress signal came from the world. Perhaps there are people on Agradar, though I do not understand why they would only send out a distress signal now."

"It's not important." Leon said, shaking his head. He had a more important job. "Indicate arrived worlds." The yellow lights all disappeared leaving only the green worlds. Leon noticed a great number of them such as the Princess of Heart worlds and the Land of Dragons, who Mulan had managed to contact before she left. However, there was a small cluster of worlds that were green and unexplained why they were so. "Tron, what's with these worlds?"

"His Majesty King Mickey contacted the Interstellar Academy a few days ago to visit those worlds. Many of them are en route currently to join the army. I have already contacted a welcoming party for them to meet, led by Miss Yuffie." Tron concluded and Leon smiled to himself.

"They'll get a real kick out of her…" Leon mumbled before he once more redirected his attention towards Tron and the star chart. "Any other news?"

"Just one, although it may seem trivial." Tron stated and Leon rubbed his temples slightly.

"Well, let's have it then. When Sora gets back, he'll want to know everything that he can." Leon said with another chuckle. Sora's eager attitude had never left him and he was always jumping about for information.

"There is apparently a small band, about a hundred or so that are flying around the galaxy." Tron said and Leon's face adopted a very concerned look. "You misunderstand Master Leon, they are not harming citizens, in fact, quite the opposite. Supposedly they are picking up Keyblade wielders from the Order. But these members are going willingly, as if they expect something to happen."

"Interesting. Keep me posted if anything more interesting develops from that." Leon said and Tron affirmed. Leon then ordered him to continue with meeting and greeting the remainders of the army that was arriving on the world. Meanwhile, Leon himself needed to check up on the soldier barracks and see how well they were training. So he quickly left the study and headed out to the castle postern. He hadn't even gotten to the Restoration Site when a familiar figure was approaching him. He froze as he saw her arrive: Aerith.

Tensions between the two of them had been running quite high lately, and that wasn't helped by Leon's increased indifference to everything thanks to his loss of sleep. Yuffie said she blamed it on hormones despite the fact they were both grown up. But that wasn't the case; their tension had been steadily growing for the past twelve years. This was aided and abetted by Kairi who was constantly intervening to see what was going on between the two. Aerith would dodge the question and Leon would try to shake it off. For the most part, they had tried to avoid each other as much as possible but now they were going to be in close proximity and there was no running.

"Leon!" Aerith said quickly and in great surprise when she met him. "What are you doing here?"

"My job. I had to check on the condition of the alliances." Leon said, pointing back to the corridor he had just come from. What was that he was seeing in her eyes? "The real question is what you were coming up here for…"

"I came to talk to Mercury." Aerith said and Leon quickly stepped aside to let her pass. She thanked him and began to walk on. Leon shook his head and began to walk in the direction he was planning on going when Aerith's sweet voice suddenly called him back. He faced her. "What happened to us, Leon?"

"No idea what you're talking about." Leon said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Unless you're referring to the fact that we never talk anymore."

"Yeah…that…" Aerith said dejectedly.

"No idea…" Leon said. The natural born warrior was suddenly confused over the sudden loss of companionship with a girl he had known almost his whole life. "I guess we just…grew apart…because of things." Leon finished up lamely and Aerith nodded her head sadly.

"Yeah…maybe it's the war…" she left the conversation at that and walked off. Leon shook his head and began to walk off again. He wanted to talk with her but the war had hardened Leon and changed him to the point that he no longer recognized himself even. And yet, he kicked himself as he thought about these things of what he was feeling towards Aerith. Wasn't it just that she was feeling dejected from Cloud and Tifa's relationship and he was just the rebound guy? And yet, what about the play that Sora had set up after a visit to Olympus Coliseum: LOVELESS.

_"Of course…I'll come back to you. Even if you don't promise to wait. I'll return knowing that you'll be here."_ But that was just a play, no application to real life, no matter which way you sliced it. He wasn't feeling anything for Aerith but a sort of fraternal bond towards her…and that was the way it would stay.

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Kairi leaned against the stone, exterior wall of Middleton High with her communicator held in front of her as she attempted to contact the one person that she knew could help. The waving bars flew back and forth a few times as she waited until at last it beeped, indicating a connection and Sora's spiky-haired and somewhat disheveled face appeared on the screen.

"Kairi? What're you calling me for?" Sora asked with confusion. In the background of the screen on the communicator she saw Donald and Goofy milling around as if doing something.

"I need your help." Kairi said innocently and Sora glared at her in disbelief. She quirked an eyebrow at him with humor on her lips.

"Kairi, you practically begged me to let you take this world visit on your own and now you call me and tell me that you need my help." Sora asked with absolute exasperation over his wife's phone call.

"Sora, it's not exactly what you think." Kairi tried to reason to him and now it was his turn to arch his eyebrow. "What is it? Are you busy?"

"Uhh…kinda, yeah." Sora said a little agitatedly. "We need to get the Court of Miracles ready for invasion in a few days time so that we can defend it."

"So you have a few days?" Kairi asked, trying to persuade her husband over to her side. Sora once more glared at her. "Look, I just need you here for only a few days to help me sort this issue out. I mean, Donald and Goofy can take care of things, right?" Sora sighed in defeat. His wife had won him over in the end.

"All right, I'll leave it to them and I'll leave the communicator with them as well." Sora said, his voice heavy with defeat. "But Kairi, are you even gonna tell me what this is all about?"

"When you get here." Kairi said in a singsong voice and terminated the connection across the communicators. She knew Sora would be able to lock onto her own communicator using his and could easily transport himself from there. Sure enough, a moment later there was a large burst of light and suddenly Sora stepped out of the Keyhole. "Took you long enough."

"Okay, Kairi, what's going on here?!" Sora asked exasperatedly. Kairi smiled at him coyly for a moment. She picked herself up from leaning on the building and walked up to Sora but kept a few paces away from him.

"I've made two very good friends on this world already: a boy and a girl. They're best friends and the boy likes the girl, only the girl doesn't realize it and so when a new boy showed up at lunch today, a few minutes ago actually, she went ga-ga over him." Kairi said simply and Sora smacked himself on his forehead.

"You brought me here to play matchmaker?!!" Sora asked indignantly. He trusted Kairi with his life but this was beyond cruelty.

"That and there's some big plot by this one mad scientist guy that we need to stop to gather up an army here." Sora deflated and gave in. He was already here so he might as well make the best of it. But this place did seem oddly familiar and he couldn't place exactly where he remembered it from. Sora shrugged his shoulders in acceptance. "Great! Now, I'll bring you to meet them." Kairi immediately wheeled around and headed back into the school, Sora following behind her like an obedient puppy. Kairi looked up at the wall for the school time and realized it was passing period and sure enough, she saw Ron over at his locker. She called out his name.

"Oh, hey Kairi, what's up?" Ron asked, closing his locker and hoisting his backpack onto his shoulder. Kairi smiled fondly at him.

"Well, Ron, I'd like you to meet my husband-" Kairi said, moving aside to present Sora. But before she could even say his name Sora had already started a handshake with Ron.

"Ron Stoppable!" Sora cried out jubilantly and with a great big grin. Rufus popped out of Ron's pocket. "And Rufus! How ya been buddy?" Kairi was left speechless at this spectacle.

"Sora, my man! How's it hangin'?" Ron asked and Kairi shook her head to rid herself of her utter confusion.

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute! You _know_ each other?" Kairi asked in absolute numb shock and Sora nodded and grinned sheepishly at her. Kairi gave a sigh before a new voice entered the fray.

"Hey Ron!" chimed Kim's voice as she walked up to the trio, not noticing Sora. "I haven't seen you since lunch. What's going-Aaaah! You!" Kim cried out and Sora smirked at her. Kairi's face whipped to Sora and then to Kim and back again.

"Hold it! What is going on here?! You know Kim too!" Kairi cried out in absolute frustration. Sora smiled at her rather sheepishly for a moment and started to try and stammer out an explanation but Kairi quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him away. "What's all this about?"

"Well...you remember about three years ago when Riku said I needed a vacation?" Sora asked while twiddling her thumbs and Kairi nodded tentatively. "Well, turned out it was actually a mission that he dragged me on and it was here, to Middleton. He had heard of distress in the world but no Unbirths and we got tangled with Kim and Ron against Dr. Drakken and...long story short, we did too much work and now Kim hates us for it." Kairi nodded her head a bit before glaring at Sora.

"And you never told me?! Here I am, assuming that nobody knows who we are so I go and tell everyone I'm a queen and-" Kairi began to rant but Sora but a hand over her mouth.

"You've been mentioning that to _everybody_? Hmm..." Kairi glanced at Sora in utter confusion. "Kairi, we don't need to have everybody knowing that."

"Oh, and you haven't mentioned it at all?" Kairi said with a flash of her eyes. "In any case, I needed to say it or I wouldn't have gotten access to Global Justice." Sora nodded his head in understanding.

"So then, I'm supposing that Ron likes Kim, am I right?" Sora said and Kairi gave an affirmation. Sora groaned and cracked his knuckles quickly. "All right then, bring it on." Kairi gave a giggle and began to walk away from Sora.

"Dinner at Kim's house tonight!" Kairi yelled and that was all that Sora needed to know. For the second half of the day, while Kairi was teaching, Sora had his second encounter with Mr. Barkin (who ironically, didn't think _he_ was an alien) and mostly hung out with Ron, making careful observations about the new boy, Erik. When evening came (and after he had set up a place to sleep at the Stoppable's) he headed over to Kim's house with Ron, much to Ron's pain.

"Cootie alert!!!" yelled Kim's twin brothers when Erik arrived at the house. "Attention, we have detected cooties in the area. This can mean only one thing! Kim's got a boyfriend!" That comment made Ron wince. Kairi put a hand on Ron's shoulder briefly before walking off to join Mrs. Dr. P in the kitchen.

"Pigtails! Nice!" Erik said, pointing to a picture on Kim's wall. Kim just shoved him in embarrassment. "Thanks for inviting me over for dinner."

"No big." Kim responded quickly, sparing a moment to throw a dirty glance at Sora who returned it with a smile.

"But so sweet." Erik responded and Rufus immediately started retching and Mushu, who had now taken to hanging with Ron looked at him confusedly.

"Choking on some food, man?" Mushu asked and Sora bent down low, right at Mushu's eye level.

"Somehow...I don't think he was eating Mushu." Sora said with a wry smile before straightening back up and putting a hand on Ron's shoulder, much like his wife did. "Hey Ron, I'm here for you, you know that?" With that, Sora left the room to join his wife as Anne Possible left the room. Sora didn't hear the ensuing conversation and as he took up chatting with Kairi (who filled him in about Drakken and other such problems on the world) Anne Possible called her husband. When she finished the phone she fully greeted Sora.

"It's nice to see you again, Sora." Anne said with a smile and Sora returned the greeting. "I know Kimmie's not too happy to see you but that's always been a problem of hers."

"It's okay, she won't have to deal with us much longer." Sora said with a shrug. "I'm sure Kairi told you about us building an army, right?" Sora told her with a grin and a chuckle and Anne Possible laughed a bit.

"Which reminds me, I didn't know you were married on your last visit." Anne said and Sora smiled at her sheepishly. "You two have any kids?"

"Fraternal twins, boy and a girl." Kairi said proudly and the three parents proceeded to talk about what it was like raising twins. That conversation lasted until the pizza arrived and everybody sat down to ate. But Ron's heart wasn't in eating at all and before long, Anne Possible noticed that something was up. Being a doctor she naturally asked him about it.

"Um, I've got the, uh, belly flips." Ron responded, indeed sounding as if he was sick.

"Got my endoscope in the car!" Anne said kindly and Ron didn't like that idea at all and got up to leave. But despite Anne's insistence that he stay, a further comment from both Kim and Erik prompted Ron (and also Sora and Mushu) to leave. Sora followed Ron all the way to Bueno Nacho where Ron soon sat in a completely dejected state. Sora went to order some food and reconnected with Ned, the assistant manager, who he had met on his last trip. But not many words were exchanged and soon Sora was sitting back at the table with a Ron who was not hungry.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Sora asked, practically begging. Ron just muttered that he wasn't hungry before Ned came over and flopped down next to them. Ron finally stirred and seemed to notice something on Ned.

"Dude, your clip on tie!" Ron exclaimed and Ned sighed.

"Clipped off." Ned responded and Sora furrowed his brow.

"But...aren't you assistant manager?" Sora asked in utter confusion.

"Not anymore...Lars is in charge." Ned said with distaste and they all glanced over and a rather large and burly man with a scar on his forehead who was wearing a bright orange t-shirt. "Home office sent him. Change is in the air...big change! Kiddie meals!"

"With...toys in them?" Ron said nervously and Sora now felt really lost. As if he wasn't already lost in figuring out how to sort Ron's problems with Kim, now he had to figure out what was wrong with kiddie meals.

"Affirmative! Imagine the brat factor. Next they'll add a playground and then what: a spokesclown!!" Ned screamed and Sora began to laugh at Ned's exaggerations. "It's not funny!"

"You're right." Sora said seriously, despite wanting to laugh inside. "It's not funny at all." Suddenly there was a large vibrating noise beside Ron and Rufus held up Ron's pager to him.

"Kim?!! 911?!!" Ron said, and in an instant both Ron and Sora were rushing back over to Kim's house where Kim and Kairi made a starling revelation to them: Drakken had kidnapped Kim's father. So it was, that after a few more minutes of Kairi arguing with Kim that the four of them were on their way to Drakken's now abandoned alpine lair.

"Okay, really, what kind of villain posts a sign that says 'Secret Lair' right outside where their hiding?" Sora said with a shrug of his shoulders. "That's like asking to be found."

"This is Drakken we're talking about." Kim said with a biting edge. "But I don't like this...it feels too..."

"Trappish?" Ron proffered and both Sora and Kairi couldn't help but laugh.

"Not a word, Ron, but yes." Kim said. And as soon as she finished that sentence the floor opened up from beneath them and they all fell in. Sora and Kairi quickly summoned their Keyblades and as the hole finally emerged into an open space Sora and Kairi both did an aerial dodge in the air and landed without a scratch. This was not to be said of Ron who landed with a _thud_ onto the floor as Kim let him down from her hold. What they did not notice until they regained their bearings was the hologram of Dr. Drakken.

"Kim Possible, that girl Kairi from before, Sora who, what are you doing here?" Drakken said and Sora lowered his Keyblade for a moment. "Oh, and that buffoon whose name I can't remember."

"Oh come on, after all the times we've battled him, how can he not remember my name?!" Ron yelled exasperatedly. "I mean, he only met Kairi once and he met Sora three years ago!" But Kim wasn't listening to Ron as she dived through Drakken and came out the other end.

"I would save your energy Miss Possible. Your father is in quite a pickle." Drakken said and he motioned to the form of Dr. Timothy Possible being loaded into a water filled tank that had a sort of mutant Octopus within it. Kim got up and dashed that way before a green laser fire nearly vaporized her. "I'd watch out for that too. My latest death ray is killer."

"Isn't that redundant?" Ron asked with confusion when suddenly some portals opened and red uniformed men emerged. "Uh...guys?!" Sora wasted no time and swiped his Keyblade around, slicing through the man. But as he did so, green goo began to pour out of him.

"What the heck are those?!" Sora screamed and Kim made a quick statement that they were synthodrones. Everyone turned their attention back to Drakken.

"Well, I'd love to be there but I'm busy settling into my new lair. The lair from which I shall take over the world!" Drakken exclaimed triumphantly.

"Will that one have a Secret Lair sign posted out front too?" Sora asked and Drakken grumbled before saying his farewells to everyone and shutting off the hologram. "Kim, Ron, go save your dad. Kairi and I can take care of these." Sora said and before Kim could respond he dashed forward and started slicing his way through the many synthodrones. Kairi took it on herself to destroy the death ray and a simple blast of lightning took it down. When everything was cleared away Sora and Kairi faced Kim to see that she had gotten her dad out safely.

"Dad...what happened to you?" Kim asked but Timothy Possible had a very muddled look on his face.

"I'm not sure. One moment I was thinking about what I wanted on my pizza and then...nothing." Sora looked and Kairi for a moment and wondered what it could mean. But for them, all they had to worry about was getting Kim's father home. There would be much more for them to worry about soon.

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The next day had seemed to start out better than the previous one but this was soon turned upside down. The opening of the day had to detail with joining Kim, Monique, and Ron as they went shopping for Prom clothes. Things were only made worse when Kairi dragged Sora to go window shopping because although munny was the universal cash, some stores still didn't accept it. As they walked around the Middleton Mall, they mused on what Drakken could be planning.

"Drakken's not that smart...and to be honest, he's not that evil. If we crack his freaky plot we may be able to recruit him to our side...that may make Maleficent happy." Sora said with a grimace. He still didn't particularly enjoy the concept of the alliance with Maleficent.

"I wonder what Kim's dad knew that Drakken needed..." Kairi mused but was jerked out of her reverie as they arrive back at Club Banana where they had left Kim, Ron, Monique, and even Mulan. As they approached Bonnie came running out of the store. Sora gave a quick peek inside and saw Erik standing there talking to Kim.

"Erik's there..." Sora said dully. "I think you're right...I get some serious bad vibes from him." Kairi flashed her eyes in agreement and soon, Kim, Erik, and Monique walked out of the store, not even noticing Sora and Kairi. Sora dashed inside and saw Ron. "Hey Ron, let's grab a bite to eat, I'm starving." And as if he wanted anything to get his mind off of what was going on, he agreed. But even Bueno Nacho didn't give him a break as Ned's prediction of the brat factor came true and the placed was swamped with little kids, a reporter being near them.

"I'm here at Bueno Nacho, home of the Lil' Diablo. This cute little must have, this tiny devil is the latest craze for kids all over the world." The reporter said. But before she could say more, Ron grabbed the microphone.

"We can't even get to the counter to order! This used to be my place! Mine!" Ron screamed and the whole entire placed was shocked into silence. "I'm losing everything I ever cared about!!!" And that was that. Ron had officially snapped. They ordered their food to go and made their way to a tree house that had apparently been Ron and Kim's play place. Ron wasted no time in grabbing red paint and making a sign that said "NO GIRLS ALLOWED", but Kairi was an exception to the rule. But still, Ron wasn't even able to eat and Sora and Kairi were both very worried when they heard steps coming up the ladder. Ron quickly grabbed a slingshot.

"I have a lethal weapon!" Ron cried and Kim emerged into the room.

"Put the slingshot down Huck Finn, it's me." Kim said nonchalantly. Ron just grumbled and put it away when Kim saw Sora. "What's he doing up here?"

"He allowed me up here!" Sora said defiantly. "Besides, didn't you read the sign?" Kim looked over at the sign.

"Never saw that before." Kim admitted and Ron just huffed a bit.

"Really? It's been there forever." Ron said and Kim decided to say no more on the subject, even overlooking the fact that Kairi was a girl and she was here. Ron was the first to speak up. "You want some Bueno Nacho...I only do to go since I found out about those Lil' Diablos that ruing everything." Kim came over to Ron and sat on the sofa arm.

"Maybe there's something more than the Bueno Nacho sitch that is bothering you." Kim suggested and immediately Ron went on the defensive. Sora and Kairi decided to leave them to their own business and quickly left the treehouse.

"So Prom's tomorrow for them." Kairi said with a smile. "You'll stick with Ron?" Sora nodded in the affirmative. "And then maybe we can try this prom thing all over again, huh?" Sora just laughed and the two parted ways for the night. The next day they didn't even see each other at all and Sora had to deal with an ever changing Ron who had practically no idea if he was still going to the dance or not. After a very long time, Ron finally decided to not go to the prom and the two (rather four) headed off for Bueno Nacho on Ron's painfully slow scooter. The moment Sora stepped through the double doors, he felt something wasn't right which was all the more emphasized by the reaction of Ned saying there was something really wrong going on.

But Ron noticed nothing and Sora felt that nothing could get through to him at the moment even a chattering Rufus gibbering at him about the word "EVIL" scrawled in Diablo sauce across the tray. The one thing that did get to him though was his straw: it was no longer bendy. And after he complained to Lars he came up with a foolproof plan: to call the CEO of Bueno Nacho. So Sora and Ron headed outside.

"Wade, I'm at Bueno Nacho and I've got comments and concerns." Ron said but Sora could barely hear what was being said on the other end of the line. "Nope, I wanna go straight to the top." After a few moments, it appeared that Ron had gotten through and Sora listened in.

"Hola, Bueno Nacho, el presidente speaking!" came the very distinct voice of Dr. Drakken over the phone. Buth stepped back in shock but did not notice Lars pick up the phone and put it back on the reciever.

"Dr. Drakken is a very busy man. He should not be bothered!" Lars yelled and he pointed to the restaurant. Sora turned around and soon saw the Lil' Diablos all emerging in uniformed fashion from the double doors. "Diablos, attack!" And they did. _Now I've seen everything..._ Sora thought to himself at this new development. Sora gave a great leap and flew over the Diablos while Ron climbed on top of the pay phone box and jumped to escape their wrath. He quickly scrambled onto his scooter while Sora decided to get flying and sent a barrage of magic at the Diablos. Ron finally got his scooter started and began to pull away at a very slow rate.

"This think is junk! Am I the only one to notice this?!" Ron screamed as Sora sent a raging fireball at the Diablos.

"No...you're just the last one. Now let's move!" Sora screamed and Ron was finally able to take off, Sora flying right behind him, sending spell after spell at the pursuing toys of evil. And they were picking up speed too...Sora could only hope they would reach Middleton High before they caught up. Thankfully, they did and Ron hopped off his vehicle while Sora descended onto the ground. They ran into the doors and banged them open into the thundering gym.

"The Diablo toys are evil!" Ron said and the whole room was silent. Sora pushed past and got a glimpse of Kairi. He waved at her and turned around but there was nothing there.

"Hold on...where did they go?" Sora asked, now completely nonplussed. Suddenly Ron was pulled into the gym and Sora followed.

"You okay, man?" Erik asked and Ron puffed up.

"I know that tone. That's the 'Ron and Sora are making up the whole thing' tone." Ron said to him. "Well, you know what, it doesn't matter what you or anybody else thinks. Cause my best friend Kim will believe us, right Kim?"

"Oh yeah...they toys were here." Kim said, though it sounded like she didn't care at all and was actually rather angry at Ron.

"And they were evil! But buckle up, cause it gets wierder." Ron prepared Kim but Sora finished up the statement.

"Drakken is behind the whole thing." Erik just scoffed and laughed at the two of them. "Hey, it's pretty obvious when you think about it. Use the more than 30,000 locations worldwide to give out his evil prizes. The end."

"I'm going to check this out." Kim said, and even though Erik tried to stop her, she did check it out. "So it was definitely Drakken?"

"Voice print match confirms it." Wade said over the Kimmunicator. "As for Ron's evil toy theory, I analyzed the one I got in my Lil' Ninos meal...it's circuitry is way beyond anything I've ever seen. It's like a real robot, only tiny."

"Better take it to my dad then." Kim said, and the group of four left Erik, Monique, and Mulan (who had reported to Kairi that day that GJ was dispatching 50 officers for them) at the prom. When they arrived at the Possible household, Kim and Ron went below while Sora described his and Ron's harrowing adventure at Bueno Nacho to Kairi. Soon they all came back up.

"How did it go down there?" Anne asked her husband and Dr. Possible was immediately enraged.

"That Drakken fellow used my technology to build those things!!" Dr. Possible yelled exasperatedly.

"And the craze is off the chain." Sora said with realization.

"What's it made out of?" Kairi asked.

"Cybertronics. It's a kind of living metal, it can actually grow." Dr. Possible said and they all looked at him in slight fear. "Don't worry...it can't do anything without the command signal." He explained with a chuckle. But when the words left his lips there was a low beeping noise.

"Think we just found that signal." Kairi said and suddenly the robots began to expand to thirty times their size. Sora and Kairi summoned their Keyblades and immediately flipped backward to avoid the Diablo destruction. Both of them quickly sent a rush of ice at one of the robots to freeze it in their tracks. It didn't last for long and they immediately resumed destruction. Sora ran at the one closest to the door and leapt into the air, gliding over it and landing outside where Ron and Kim was running from the other Diablo that was ransacking their house. Kairi at last made it outside and the two sent a torrent of lightning bolts at the Diablo but it didn't faze it.

"What do these things run on?!!" Sora exclaimed before he caught notice of Ron and Kim hopping onto a now rocket-powered scooter. "Kairi, let's go!" The two leapt into the air and glided along after Kim and Ron, both of whom told them they were going to Bueno Nacho to take out the command signal. Kairi glanced behind her for a moment.

"Diablo incoming. Let's distract it Sora." Kairi said and both of them detached to slow down the Diablo. Thankfully, them hitting it with a barrage of spells managed to give Kim and Ron enough time to get to Bueno Nacho. They arrived shortly after them. Sora barely avoided the poll with the giant taco on it and landed next to Kim and Ron as the Diablo came barging through, smashing up the command signal in the process. Suddenly the Kimmunicator beeped.

"Wade, you're okay!" Kim yelled in relief. "I think we took out the command signal."

"Good work." Wade said, also happy to not have been pummeled by a giant robot. "That's weird. We just got a hit on the site." Suddenly, Drakken appeared on the screen.

"Congratulations Kim Possible, you have already figured out how to foil my evil scheme. It is most unfortunate however that this time you will not prevail. You will surrender!" Drakken said with an evil grin. "You see, Shego popped by your school dance and met the nicest boy. Well, I don't have to tell _you_ how nice he is...and cute." The camera shifted aside to show Erik, standing there under Shego's hand. "The choice is yours Kimberly Anne. If you care about your dear Erik's safety, surrender is your only option."

But Kim wasn't going to go down without a fight. They quickly returned to Kim's house where she suited up in a fancy new battle suit and soon all four took off on the road to Bueno Nacho Headquarters, Ron complaining about wanting a super suit or a mythical weapon himself. Before long they had arrived, found a gun that would shut down Drakken's whole system and proceeded to infiltrate the base. Ron however got distracted easily.

"The original Bueno Nacho...where it all started." Ron said and all of them rolled their eyes. Suddenly there was a very large rumbling and a great fat man, dressed in the black garb of a ninja came barreling down the corridor, picking up Ron and slamming him into the wall.

"I shall be avenged!!" he yelled in a squeaky voice and everyone laughed. "What?! I am strong like the mountain, I am swift like the wind. I am vengeance!!!" Kim quickly tossed knockout gas to Ron, which Rufus caught and soon the sumo ninja was out cold. But the battle was just beginning as a green plasma bolt came sailing at them. Sora and Kairi ereected defense shields to protect themselves.

"You know what I really hate?" came the cruel voice of Shego.

"When somebody kidnaps your boyfriend?" Kim asked in anger.

"No...when someone doesn't know when to give up!" Shego yelled and she fired more plasma bolts all over the place. Sora rolled out of the way as Kairi flipped backwards before they both jumped to Shego's level. Shego kicked at them but Sora used his Keyblade to trip her up. She was back up in a second already and fired a plasma bolt at Kim who created a sling in her hand and fired it back. "Ooh...Kimmie's got an upgrade...but...still not in my league."

"Then try me!" Kairi yelled and she slammed the blunt side of her Keyblade unexpectedly into Shego's back. Shego flipped up and landed on a large walkway where Sora rushed her, spinning the Keyblade around his whole body. She used her hands to block it.

"Nice to see you again Sora...you've gotten cuter." Shego said with a wicked smile.

"Can it Shego. I'm married!" And he broke contact before rolling away from Shego. Suddenly Ron's cries filled the room.

"Yeah, go super suit on her, Kim girl! Yeah, Sora, Kairi, KP! Oh yeah!" Sora gave a chance glance at Ron and saw him celebrating at having knocked out the sumo ninja again before his pants fell off.

"Put your pants back on Ron!" Sora yelled out and he paid for his momentary lapse of action as She clocked him on the head and he went sailing away from the battle. Kairi rushed over and he quickly assured her that he was okay just as Kim ended the fight with Shego. Sora began to get up as Kim ran to Erik but he froze when Kim was suddenly shocked. Erik was a synthodrone!!! The married couple stayed back for a little bit as Ron was knocked out and the two were carted off.

"We need to find them." Kairi suggested and Sora agreed. It didn't take very long for them to find Kim and Ron and soon they unlocked the doors with their Keyblades and came into a now fully conscious, and released, Kim and Ron. But the most interesting factor was that Kairi noticed Kim was acting differently towards Ron. But no one had time to dwell on it as they were approaching to command center.

"Boys, boys, boys! Who should I go to the dance with?!" came Drakken's snotty voice. "Who's the perfect boy?!" Suddenly he squealed as the four were in front of them.

"You're right Drakken...boys, dating, oh it's hard. But this is easy!" And she punched Drakken straight in the face. Drakken called for Shego but Kim evaded Shego while Kairi kicked her into a wall. Kim the flipped over, stamping Erik on the face and she ran outside, Kairi following. Ron and Sora quickly barred Erik's exit and Ron kicked him in the head, twisting it around. Erik righted his head easily but Sora reacted so fast that Erik didn't know what hit him as he sailed across the control room. Rona and Sora ran onto the roof as the electromagnetic scrambler came floating their way. Ron was about to catch it when Erik came bursting through the roof and caught it.

"Nice try losers, and by the way, a naked mole rat is not cool...it's gross." Erik said and Rufus growled at him. Ron then thought fast and tripped Erik, knocking the EM scrambler out of his hands. Rufus dashed after it and managed to catch it as Ron engaged Erik in a duel. Erik easily kicked him over the wall and Sora created a bubble to reduce the damage done to him. Rufus then tossed the gun to Ron who tossed it to Sora who tossed it to Kim who had just taken out Shego with Kairi's help. Kim then fired the gun and just before the device hit, Erik caught it. "So sorry."

"You know...Rufus did not appreciate that crack." Kim said and everyone smiled as they saw Rufus emerge from Erik's new clothes and bite a whole in him. Synthogoo spilled out and soon Erik was withered and his hand with the EM device landed on the tower, destroying it instantly. With that success, the group rounded up Drakken and Shego and put them in a police car that would take them to jail. Kim turned to Ron.

"You know Ron...we better hurry." Kim said in a rather sultry tone.

"Hurry...hurry where?" Ron asked, completely nonplussed. Kim just took his hand and dragged him off. Sora turned to Kairi.

"I think we're done here. Try and recruit some of those villains." Sora said and Kairi looked at him.

"Where are you going?" she asked of him and Sora smiled at her.

"I've been away too long from Donald and Goofy." Sora said with an even wider grin. Kairi nodded in understanding while Sora summoned his Keyblade and made a portal back to Notre Dame. "See ya at home!" Sora saluted her and stepped into the portal.

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Author's Note: Yay! Done. I'm so sorry for the long update but as some of you know, my computer was on the fritz and still is...Regardless, I hope this made up for it, though next chapter definitely will. Lot's of things here, what was with that news given to Leon? And yes, I did choose KP because Kim and Ron remind me of Sora and Kairi a lot. This chapter also marks the most Leon/Aerith you will get in this story. Some more news, as many know, Wayne Allwine who voice Mickey Mouse died recently and as such I am going to write a tribute piece when I write Tales of Existence...after all, even the mouse king must die of old age sometime. And also, for those of you who didn't know 358/2 Days released in Japan 5 days ago and it looks like the saddest game of the series. Now, we have three worlds left and next chapter is titled "Rogue" I'll leave you to guess which world and what happens. Until then, PLEASE leave a good review and Dare to Be Silly.


	12. Chapter 11: Rogue

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DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts at all, or The Incredibles but I own quite a few characters in this chapter so do enjoy...

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Chapter 11

Rogue

Onyx paced within the halls of his room on the Vanishing Planet, worried about the current state of the war at the present time. Things hadn't exactly been going as planned. For sure, he had all but anticipated Sora and the others rallying together to save and secure the defenses of the princess of heart worlds but this troubling alliance he had not any idea of. That was what disturbed him the most and that was why he had proceeded to Notre Dame. His plans had not been going at all the way he wanted them to. He had searched for the meaning behind the breach in the Realm of Nothingness but could not find anything, even as he listened for whispers. And now, now he had stooped to waiting on the skin of his teeth. For all the powers of the universe at his disposal he was still here because his plans required the utmost of precision and timing. Regardless, he was hoping and waiting for the connection and communication that may change his fortunes in this war. At last, there was a chime on the viewing screen that was within his room.

He quickly strode over to the console and toggled a few switches and the viewing screen lit up and the silhouette of a young man appeared on the screen. There were no distinct features that appeared on the screen as the man's face was shrouded in darkness...and appropriately so, for to bring their plans into the light would ultimately destroy everything. But that was immaterial now.

"What's taken so long? I expected a status report over and hour ago!" Onyx screeched to the man on the other line, his anger and impatience fully playing into his voice. The man on the other line scoffed.

"Well excuse me almighty and powerful but I'm on a short leash here if you didn't notice!" cried the voice on the other end clearly irked with whatever was going on. But Onyx didn't care in the slightest.

"Then cut that leash! We are running out of time, understand?!" Onyx told the man and he saw a hand move across his face and a small chuckle.

"Last time I checked you asked me to do this and I can only stall as much as possible, Onyx." Came the voice, even more agitated now than it had been when the conversation started. "And do you understand what cutting that tie means for us?"

"Perfectly well, in fact, this is _my_ plan. But we have no more time for playing games...it's time for you to decide where your true loyalties lie." Onyx said and the man on the other line sighed out of exhaustion.

"Whatever...I'll do it soon then." The man responded and Onyx nodded his head, knowing full well that the other man could see it. "But I'm still...uh...concerned. This other plan of yours, do we really need to go through with it? I mean, it seems overkill and it just seems...I don't know, cruel." Onyx snickered a bit in the background.

"Are you questioning me and my plan?" Onyx stated, his eyes narrowing towards the man. The man didn't respond at all, afraid of what Onyx might do if he did. "Cruelty is a matter of perspective, I would trust you to understand that."

"But ripping flesh from bone is just..." the man tapered off and Onyx finished the sentence with his own prepared answer.

"Part of the plan. What would you do? Rip out his arm or his legs, kill the man instead of making him truly suffer? That displays weakness!" Onyx spat and the man recoiled. "Understand this and understand it well. Limbs can be replaced and life can be sown. But skin cannot grow back and neither can hope. Hope is a fragile emotion; easily broken and easily taken away."

"I still don't..." Onyx didn't care for the man's lack of vision and so decided to explain it all in the easiest terms possible.

"Think of it like this, when you remove the skin all you are left with is a skeleton, a skeleton that will break with a single touch. Killing one man invigorates those who remain, I have seen it with the Huntsmen of Prydain. Removing a limb causes one to compensate in their strength and zeal. But how can you continue to go on when nothing remains." Onyx turned his back on the man. "Make your move...and make it soon...I'm sick of waiting." With that, and a flick of Onyx's hand, the connection terminated and now he would go back to waiting.

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"All in all, the siege in Halloween Town is going well, Antonio?" Melissa asked over her connection in the briefing room at Crown Fortress. Melissa, after being tasked with ruling the Order once both Riku and Antonio had left, now made it her personal duty to oversee the current state of the war. She hadn't contacted Riku, but Antonio was one she didn't feel bad about communicating with.

"Yes, with luck, we can eradicate the Unbirths here in about a week. It's become remotely more difficult since Jack Skellington left with Sally, Dr. Finklestein, Lock, Shock, and Barrel after the Interstellar Academy stopped by but regardless..." Antonio tapered off. Melissa nodded her head, glad that, on some front, the war was going well against her brother. "How are things in the Order?"

"Oh same as ever...though we haven't had any attacks lately and it's starting to make me uneasy." Melissa stated with a slight amount of trepidation in her voice. She lowered it slightly so that anyone else who might have been listening wouldn't here. "You don't think Onyx is planning something do you?" Antonio gave a short laugh.

"I wouldn't know how your brother thinks Melissa...perhaps if Edge was here we would have but he's not. I don't know what he's up to, but I know we need to stop him." Antonio told her and Melissa responded with a simple grunt that acknowledged the statement. "What about Cothius? What has he been up to?"

"So far as I know...he's been pretty silent but that doen't make him any less dangerous. I still think he could be planning something big." Melissa said and Antonio flashed his eyes. "Whatever it is, I'll find out. Crown Fortress may be big, but not big enough to hide a stench like Cothius'."

"Very well then, may your heart protect you Melissa. I'll see you when I get back." Antonio said with a small chuckle and salute while Melissa returned the gesture and switched off the viewing screen. She groaned a bit from exhaustion and left the briefing room. She strode down the abandoned hallway in order to reach the staircase at the end that would take her up to her room when she saw somebody approaching from the opposite end of the corridor. Instantly, Melissa noticed the gray hair of Cothius and she scowled to herself. She didn't want to deal with this right now. But Cothius had already seen her and a small smirk was etched onto his face.

"Melissa...what a pleasant surprise I must say." Cothius said as he stopped right in front of her, blocking her passage down the corridor, his gray tunic shimmering ever so slightly in the light of the corridor.

"Too bad I can't say the same, Cothius Cratus." Melissa said with absolute venom, portraying her extreme dislike for the man.

"Oh, on last name basis now are we?" Cothius said with a snicker. "Forgive me, Ruby, I had no idea." Melissa scowled at the mention of her family name, the name she had discarded two years ago, the name that tied her to her brother. It had been tradition in their family to name children after a type of stone and color. Her mother's name had been Sapphire and so she chose the name Ruby for her daughter.

"It's Melissa." She stated with conviction, indicating how strongly she felt about all this. "And what are you doing down here in this corridor, Cothius?" Melissa asked, hoping to perhaps glean a piece of information regarding his plan.

"Just walking. Is it such a crime for me to do so? If it is, I suppose we should just tack breathing onto that list." Cothius said with a smile as he began to pace in a circle around her. "But you'd love that, wouldn't you? If I just dropped dead like a fly. I presume I could guess what you were down here for: to talk to Antonio."

"What's it matter to you?" Melissa snapped, already fed up with this man and his antics. "I have a job in case you didn't notice. Riku left me in charge and that's how it is. You have no right or authority to be questioning me!" Cothius gave a hearty laugh, as if he knew something that she didn't.

"Of course...Riku left you in charge, how could I forget?" Cothius said, his tone simpering. "But he doesn't know the things I know now does he?" Melissa narrowed her eyes and moved away from him, keeping in step and forming a perfect circle. She had no idea what Cothius was talking about at all, but she was determined to find out. "You and Marcus." Melissa's breath caught in her throat as he had barely whispered Marcus' name. There was no way that anyone like Cothius could have known.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Melissa suddenly snapped to defend herself but Cothius' smirk stretched even wider.

"Don't think I don't know about the dark things you two have done in the night. What dark things you've _moaned_ out to the darkness." Cothius said, placing particular emphasis on the word "moaned". He turned his back on Melissa with a great smile on his face at this moment. "Oh, it's quite easy to see and I perfectly understand. All is fair in love and war is it not? So I suppose you just decided to have your love during the war." There was suddenly a whooshing sound as suddenly Rising Sun appeared in Melissa's hand, it's blade pointed at the back of Cothius' throat.

"Give me one reason not to chop your head off right here?" Melissa said with ferocity unimaginable. Cothius now gave an even louder laugh.

"So what I've said is true. The dirty things you do, Melissa, it shames me and the Order. To have a name such as your own taint us." Cothius whipped around, Eclipsing Dusk appearing in his hand and he knocked Melissa's Keyblade away. "You can't kill me, Melissa Ardintous, you lack the strength and conviction. Just as you lack the strength to show everyone what you and Marcus have been doing together during your little time off." Melissa swung her Keyblade and Cothius, who blocked it, and he sniggered loudly. But before either of the two proceeded to fight, a third Keyblade broke into their midst and knocked both of them down. They snapped their heads to look at the imposing figure of Donato.

"And what exactly is going on here?" Donato asked, concern and worry in his face and voice. Cothius merely dismissed his Keyblade and shrugged his shoulders.

"Nothing Donato, merely chatting." Cothius said. With one more flash of his eyesbrows towards Melissa he departed. Melissa and Donato both dismissed their own Keyblades and Melissa began to stalk off.

"Melissa, a word." Donato said quickly and Melissa stopped, her back still facing Antonio's twin. "Be careful around Cothius, he wants to hurt you and demoralize you. We don't know what he's up to and picking a fight like that was very foolish."

"I'm twenty eight years old Donato, I don't need lessons from you." Melissa snapped angrily, bitter after her encounter with Cothius. "Not to mention that Riku left me in charge of the Order, not you."

"Yes, well, I have other things to do but Melissa...we know." Melissa gave a start but didn't say anything. "There was no need to say anything about it but remember...just remember the Tragic Tale of Gentai Tanaka." Melissa scoffed at the mention of the Key of the Future's name.

"Gentai Tanaka was a weakling who couldn't handle losing someone he loved. I'm nowhere near as weak as him." Melissa stated resolutely and she walked off, leaving Donato standing in the hallway.

"Yes...but he lost much more..." Donato stated as he watched Melissa retreat and his heart filled with misgivings.

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_We all thought we could be decent men, in an indecent time! A time where there is darkness to plague our lives! A time where we still have to fear the darkness!"_

_"But if you fight with us, then we don't have to fear the darkness!" Sora yelled, trying to reason with this boy. "Come back, Gentai!"_

_"How can you ask that of me?! After everything, I was the only one who had everything taken from me! I was the one who caused a reign of chaos the likes of which these worlds have never seen and you ask me to come back." A tear slid down Gentai's cheek and his body started shaking harder. He began to sob. "No…I wanted to be a hero, I really did, but now I know that for me, there's no such thing."_

_"There is if you strive for it." Riku answered, his voice having gained the strength to speak to him. Gentai shook his head._

_"No…not for me…not anymore. All that's left for me and my legacy is to make sure I can end the darkness…" There was silence that pervaded the halls after he spoke those words. "WITH ME!!!"_

Riku's eyes suddenly snapped open, ripping him from the dream he had been having. Even after all that had happen these dreams were still plaguing him every night, as though it were a message being spoken to him in some way. He sat up in the captain's chair on the _R.G.S. Twilight_ and rubbed his eyes. He was already on his way back to Radiant Garden with members of the army in tow...but still, so much had already happened. To him, he felt that all of it was his fault and so he would never forget that day.

After they had left Radiant Garden their ship had been attacked and they should have suspected it then but Riku was too blind to realize it. It wasn't that far away when the first wave of Unbirth ships appeared and at first Riku thought nothing of it but within moments he was swarmed with countless numbers of them that eventually damaged the warp drive of the ship and left them practically helpless. Riku quickly fired off the Ultima-G attached to the ship and the fleet finally scattered but their plans to head to Nomanisan was completely ruined at the moment. he set Sikaru and Juthias to repair the warp drive (mainly because he didn't trust Pete) while he contacted Sora and became the bearer of bad news. So it took them days to finally reach their destination and it was late at night on that day when they finally beamed down to the surface of the world.

"It's dark..." Sikaru commented wittily. Riku gave a sour laugh at this statement.

"That might be because it's _night_." Riku stated and Sikaru rubbed the back of his head. Riku glanced at Pete and saw that he didn't look too happy to be here right now. Juthius turned to his former master.

"Well, what now, Master Riku? You have more experience with this stuff than any of us do, so where do we go from here?" Sikaru questioned. Riku scratched the back of his head slightly in confusion, not really sure where thy should go until Pete yelled out something.

"Hey, there's someone over there and they look pretty beat up!" Pete yelled and Riku snapped a look. Without thinking, the silver-haired Keyblade wielder ran forward and saw three collapsed forms on the beach, two of which belonged to children. His other three companions ran up behind him and were slightly appalled at the sight before them. The larger form of a woman with red hair stirred a bit.

"Get them up you guys!" Riku yelled and everyone, including Pete, rushed over and picked up the three people. "All right we gotta find a place to bring them. Hold on." Riku closed his eyes and sniffed around searching for a place that he might be able to hide them. Along one edge of the island he smelled darkness circulating and he figured it would be best to avoid that area for now. But further into the island that he realized they were now on he smelled nothing and sensed a closed space. He nodded at his companions and the four quickly set off with Riku leading the way.

Riku's intuition proved to be right and they arrived at a cave in the middle of the island. While Juthius and Sikaru set about healing the people they had found Riku stepped outside. It was too dark to see anything and he quickly decided that they would need fire. With a few quick shots of some Dark Aura he knocked down some branches and brought them inside the cave where Sikaru started a fire. Soon after this, the three people woke up.

"Where are we?" groaned the older woman. She rubbed her eyes and noticed the four travelers there. She backed up a bit. "Dash, Violet, wake up and get behind me, now!" The two children stirred a bit and got up but didn't acknowledge what seemed to be their mother's order.

"It's okay. We're not your enemies!" Riku yelled defensively, not wanting to get on the bad side of anyone who might be an ally in this world. "We found you on the beach and brought you here to heal you. My name is Riku, and that's Sikaru and Juthius. We're wielders of the Keyblade and members of the Order of the Crown, a peacekeeping order. That's Pete, our...ally." Riku had spat this all out rather fast to avoid being interrupted, though he had struggled with calling Pete and ally. The woman considered him a moment and then decided that he was truly not an enemy and extended her hand to him.

"I'm Helen Parr and these are my kids Dash and Violet." The kids greeted Riku and the others but Riku had not yet taken Helen's hand for he was in slight shock. True, she had extended her hand but that was from all the way over _there_ and it reached all the way over _here_. Riku gaped like a fish out of water. "I'm sorry Riku, does the hand scare you?"

"No...I've just never seen anything like it." Riku said, shaking himself from his initial surprise. "Is it a super power of some kind?" Helen nodded and soon explained everything to Riku. How she was a superhero once known as Elastigirl until the supers were forced out of hiding. This was after she had married Bob Parr a.k.a. Mr. Incredible who they discovered was on this island, so she had left her son Jack-Jack at home and Violet and Dash sneaked aboard her plane. Riku sensed some trepidation behind those words but regardless he let them pass.

"I think that Bob may be in trouble." Helen confided to Riku and the others after they agreed not to tell anyone about their secret identities. Violet, a black haired girl with a bit of hair dangling in front of her face, finally spoke up.

"If you haven't noticed mom, we're not doing so hot either. We kind of just got blown out of the sky a couple hours ago." Violet said and Helen scowled a bit.

"I'm going to look for him." Helen said as she stood up but Riku stood up with her.

"Look, you shouldn't go alone. I can sense darkness and there is some deep darkness on the island." Riku stated and Helen cast him a worried look. "Look here, Juthius and Sikaru can go with you and help you out while Pete and I remain here and look after your kids, okay?" Helen thought about this for a moment and soon decided it was okay.

"All right. Violet, Dash, take these." Helen said, handing her children black masks. "Your identity is your most valuable possession. Protect it and if anything goes wrong, use your powers. Forget what I said about not using them because the guys out there are not like the ones on Saturday morning cartoons. They will kill you, even if you're children." Dash and Violet nodded as Helen hugged them. And so, Juthius, Sikaru, and Helen all left to go and search for Bob. Pete humphed a bit when Riku sat back down.

"I could've gone with 'em too, ya know." Pete complained loudly to Riku and the man threw him a disgusted look.

"I want you somewhere that I can keep my eye on you." Was all that Riku said, and all he had to say for Pete to shut up. After about a half hour of waiting, everyone in the cave was starting to feel extremely bored. Violet sat up and started using her power (or so Riku presumed) to created a force field around the fire and make it blaze higher. "Interesting power...what about you Dash?"

"Oh, he can run super fast." Violet said quickly before Dash could answer. "He wants to go out for track but mom won't let him."

"Why not? That sounds pretty mean." Pete said loudly.

"And you'd know mean, so shut up Pete." Riku said and nobody said anything more. After a bit more waiting, Dash stood up.

"Well, not that this isn't fun, but I'm gonna go look around." Dash said.

"You're not going anywhere." Riku said with a stern look but it didn't seem to faze Dash at all. When Dash didn't respond to Riku's look, Violet stepped in.

"What do you think is going on here?" Violet yelled. "You think we're on vacation or something? Mom and dad's lives could be in danger or worse...their marriage."

"The bad guys are trying to wreck mom and dad's marriage?" Dash said, completely unconvinced at this notion. Violet just passed him off as calling him immature while Riku understood it completely. Pete, naturally, was lost. Regardless of this, Dash took off into the cave, promising he wouldn't leave it, although Riku didn't trust him entirely. They had only been sitting there for a few minutes when something made a twinge in Riku's scent and Dash came running back, screaming for Violet.

"What did you do?" Violet yelled before they all saw flames come rolling at them.

"Behind me, now! Pete, now would be a good time to use that shield thing." Riku yelled at his companion and Pete jumped in front of them, nodding. He quickly erected a shield in front of all of them and the flames suddenly buffeted it. They were forced backward and thanks to Pete creating a round shield they were soon rolled out of the cave and back into the jungle. When they made it outside and the shield finally broke all of them were sore. "Pete, you weigh a ton." Riku complained as he pushed the longtime foe-now ally off of him. He was worried now that if that much had happened since they came here he could only imagine what would happen before the night was out.

But nothing happened throughout the rest of the night. Riku and Pete, along with the kids they were supposed to be watching soon dozed off to sleep. No one found them and no one came back for them so all four of them didn't stir until morning came at long last. Dash was the first one to wake and very soon after that, Riku found himself being shaken awake by the young boy.

"What do you want?" Riku said, getting up and stretching out his limbs. Dash quickly dragged all of his now-awake companions to look at a robotic bird that was perched on one of the jungle trees. It kept chirping out "Identification please" "Dash, it's just a talking robotic bird. Wait...Oh crap."

"What? What's going on Riku?" Violet asked agitatedly, now worried at the large change in Riku's voice. before he could say anything there was suddenly an alarm sounding all over the island.

"Umm...two words for all of us." Riku said. "Run."

"But that's only one word?" Pete complained and Riku shot him a glare before he finished up his statement.

"Fast." Nobody needed telling twice and they all took off, Pete wheezing and stumbling for breath as he lagged behind them. And it was that small delay that caused misfortune for them for soon they were cornered by a number of men both on the ground and in the air. "Great job, Pete. Real great job. Thanks for getting us captured."

"Hey, I tried my best. At least I'm not tryin' to capture you!" Pete yelled out at Riku.

"That's the bad point. If you were then I know we'd stand a chance at escaping." Riku said, aiming the crack at Pete who scowled but took it head on. "Don't get me wrong, we can still get out of here if we _Dash_." Dash's ears perked as he caught his name and somehow he knew Riku was trying to send him a message. Violet also caught on quickly though Pete was left in the dust.

"Yeah if we _used our powers_ and _ran as fast as we could_." Violet emphasized to her brother and her brother smile. Without a moment's hesitation, Riku summoned his Keyblade and all three of Violet, Riku and Pete erected a shield around the area while Dash ran straight out as fast as he could.

"He really is fast..." Riku commented but h knew that there were more pressing matters to deal with. The guards sent the flying machines after Dash which left only the ground troops for the rest of them to deal with. Riku kicked behind him and quickly sent those guards sprawling backwards. He looked to his left and noticed that Violet had disappeared. But he didn't take time to wonder about this as he fired off some shots of Dark Aura that immediately hit the guards and knocked them out. Pete threw some bombs out and soon all the guards were down but not before they heard another speak a distance away.

"I know you're there, Little Miss Disappear." Said a voice and Riku and Pete set off in the direction of it, fearing the worst when they heard shots being fired. But before they reached there, Dash blazed past them and suddenly started hitting the guy, telling him not to touch his sister. Riku and Pete broke into the clearing when more guards showed up. They erected their shields and so did Violet.

"All right people, let's get moving." Riku said quickly and Dash took off with Violet floating in front of him with her shield, asking how she did it. Riku smirked when he noticed that Pete still had his shield up and he sent a kick to it, knocking Pete forward. Riku then took off. Nobody noticed how long they were running for but before long they soon ran into a clearing where Helen and a man that Riku supposed was Bob entered ahead of them and Juthius and Sikaru emerged from the right.

"Nice way to start the day Master Riku!" Juthius said with a tone of humor and Riku laughed dryly.

"And what happened with you? Separated from Helen?" Riku asked and his two apprentices nodded. Suddenly the guards burst into the clearing but Helen and Bob were already on the uptake. Helen quickly grabbed one of the flying machines and flung it into another with her elastic arm and Bob used his super strength to do the same thing. Soon they approached Riku and the others. Helen quickly introduced Bob to everyone just as more guards arrived. They all leapt forward into action but suddenly everybody found their bodies frozen in a pale blue light.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey time out!" cried the voice of a man and Riku shifted his head, surprised that he could because no one but he, Juthius, and Sikaru could do it. Soon a man with a cape flew in. He had bright red hair that stood up in an almost curly sense and had a great S on his chest. "Wait a minute...you married Elastigirl? And got busy?!!"

"Who are you?" Riku demanded, glad to see that he, at least could still talk.

"Huh? Who are _you_? And how can you still talk after my zero-point energy immobilized you?" the man asked.

"Maybe it's a Keyblade thing, now answer me." Riku demanded and the man chuckled loudly.

"I am Syndrome, Mr. Incredible's arch nemesis." The man, Syndrome cried out. "Now wait a minute...you look familiar...oh yeah!" Riku arched an eyebrow at him. "I saw you almost thirteen years ago when you came here with another kid, about sixteen. I was a little younger but still I had begun to plan."

"Yeah...well, I don't know you." Riku answered defiantly, trying to not remember his travels with Gentai.

"Oh but you will know me! The whole world will know me!" Syndrome cired and Riku rolled his eye. "You see, I launched a robot that landed in the city and it will proceed to destroy the city. Then, when all hope seems lost, Syndrome will come in and save the day. I'm gonna be a bigger hero than even Mr. Incredible and without their so-called powers. I tested my drones on plenty of other supers and now it's ready for action. After all that, I can sell my own technology and everyone can be super."

"Let me guess, then you won't be downgraded because when everyone's super, no one is?" Riku question and Syndrome laughed evilly, not responding and all eight of the companions were dragged off and hooked up to a machine where they were held captive. Riku struggled to find a way out but for the most part they were dejected, especially Bob Parr.

"I'm sorry...to all of you...this is all my fault. I've been a lousy father." Bob admitted to everyone but Dash and Riku soon noticed that Violet was sliding out of her confinement using her force field. "I was so tired of being undervalued that I undervalued all of you. I was so caught up in the past that I almost missed my greatest adventure: you guys."

"Well, I think dad has made some excellent progress today but I think it's time we wind down now." Violet said and they all snapped a look to her as she freed them from confinement. Without further ado they quickly set off. The plan was set: they needed to get back to the mainland. When they got into a hanger they found a trailer there and Bob, with the help of Riku, quickly took out all of the guys inside. Next came the tricky part. Helen grabbed onto the outer shell of a rocket and attached herself onto the trailer which everyone else got into and used the coordinates from the last launch to fire themselves forward. It was hard work for Helen to be sure, but Riku was sure that she'd make it. When they were close enough to the ground, Helen let go and Bob began to drive the trailer to find the giant robot which was apparently in the financial district.

"I take seventh right?" Bob asked of his wife.

"No you take Traction."

"But that'll take me downtown."

"Forget directions!" Riku yelled. "How hard can it be to find a giant robot?!" The answer came soon as they wheeled into the financial district.

"Everyone but Riku, stay here and keep hidden." Bob ordered when a huge burst of protest came out. "Look, the kids need to be kept safe."

"Not a chance. You're my husband...for better or worse." Helen told Bob but he insisted he needed to do it alone.

"Geez guys, solve your marital problems later. Bob, my best friend Sora is married to another Keyblade wielder and trust me, he usually doesn't keep her on the sidelines. I know you're afraid to lose Helen but you'll lose her even more if you don't let her fight!" Riku screamed at him. This seemed to snap Bob back to reality, even more so when Helen kissed him. Suddenly there was a large scream and everybody whipped around to see the robot aiming right for Violet and Dash. Violet tried to protect them with her force field but it was looking rought.

"Oh no ya don't!" Pete yelled and he ran straight over to them and created a shield. "We need these two to help us fight cause their tough. There's no way we're gonna lose 'em now!" Helen quickly extended her arms and grabbed Dash and Violet out when the robot broke Pete's shield and suddenly threw him into a building.

"Wow...who knew he had it in him?" Sikaru said jokingly. "Now let's stop that robot." The robot came and rolled in front of them when suddenly a burst of ice came forth and froze part of the robot.

"Frozone!" Bob yelled and Riku turned to see a rather skinny black man dressed in a blue and white outfit skating towards them on ice. He landed next to them and Frozone was introduced to everybody.

"Hate to cut across the meeting time but that robot has Order members, Pete and Parr family on the menu so let's run." Riku said and everybody agreed. The droid whipped its arms around in an attempt to hit them. Riku erected a shield in front of himself and blocked the blow before leaping backward. Then he heard Bob yell.

"Syndrome's remote!" Bob yelled and it hit them all at once...the remote controlled the robot.

"Dad, here!" Dash yelled and Bob tossed the remote to Dash as the droid began firing shots at him. Riku ran forward and fired a Dark Aura at the droi's guns. One of them broke off and suddenly exploded while Helen picked up a sewer top and tossed it at the other gun, effectively taking both of them out. Then the droid wheeled on Riku and fired a claw at him. Riku easily leapt away from it and the arm was now sailing towards Bob who barely caught it. Dash and Frozone soon arrived next to Riku, Helen, and the rest who had mostly been dodging at the time. Helen took the remote and all of them debated on what buttons to push. After a few pushes Bob yelled out.

"Wait, press that last button again!" Bob yelled and Riku turned to him, quickly calculating what his plan was and he nodded at Helen. The droid started approaching them and they all prepared to fight when Helen pushed the button and Bob went shooting forward. He let go of the arm and it plunged straight into the droid, destroying it.

"That's right! We can beat 'em all!" Pete yelled and Riku laughed. If anything, Pete was good for a laugh. An hour later, all eight of them were inside a rather large limo (Pete taking up the most room) talking with a lawyer.

"We've frozen all of Syndrome's assets. If he even sneezes we'll be there with a hanky and a pair of handcuffs." The lawyer said. "The people of this country are indebted to you."

"Does that mean we can come out of hiding?" Bob asked the lawyer but he shrugged and said the politicians would figure that one out.

"Don't worry Bob, I'm head of the Order of the Crown and I'm good friends with the two most powerful kings in the galaxy. We'll figure something out." Riku stated confidently and Bob thanked him. Suddenly, Helen nudged Bob from across the car. Riku leaned back in his position between Juthius and Sikaru and relaxed a bit before he heard what was said.

"I'm not fine Mrs. Parr!" cried a very frantic girl's voice over the phone. "Put that down! No, stop it! You need to call me! I need help, Mrs. Parr!" Riku sat up and arched his eyebrow before a new message played. "Hi, this is Kari. Sorry for freaking out but your baby has special needs. Anyway, thanks for sending a replacement sitter."

"I didn't send a replacement sitter." Helen said, suddenly concerned as the limo pulled into their street.

"But if you didn't, then who did?" Riku asked. He got his answer seconds later when he saw two Keyblades crossed at his throat. One of them was Juthius' and the other was the black and white marble of Pale Twilight: Sikaru's Keyblade. Riku was silent for a moment, in a complete state of disbelief. "I can't believe this...you, traitors."

"We're not betraying anything but putting the world back to the way it was meant to be." Juthius said.

"And how is that, traitors first?" Riku spat. He didn't move his head any which way and every eye in the car was fixed on him as they pulled up to the Parr house. "You were my best apprentice but I should have seen it...you probably were with Onyx from the start."

"I do my best _Master_ Riku, and the Land of Dragons was perfect. It was me who set up the invasion of Radiant Garden, me who disclosed the knowledge of the worlds you were visiting to Onyx. I am his highest lieutenant." Juthius proclaimed with a sneer on his face.

"And Sikaru? I never thought you would be that hungry for power. I suppose Juthius convinced you back in Wonderland, huh?" Riku said and Sikaru didn't say a word, only tightening the grip on his Keyblade at Riku's throat. "Never in all my years...I betrayed Sora, but not like this. I would've expected Pete to betray me but not you."

"Hey, I resent that!" Pete yelled out, the first to move on his side for a while.

"Shut up, Pete!" Riku said angrily, a plan beginning to form in his head for how to get out of this mess. And it all depended on what Pete did next.

"Yeah, shut up, or his head rolls." Juthius said with a glance to Pete.

"I just don't think it's fair to assume that I'm the one that-" Pete began but Riku cut him off.

"I said SHUT UP!!" Riku roared and in the time-space of a few seconds Riku had summoned his Keyblade and deflected the attack, made a hole in the roof of the car, order the Parr family out, and jumped out of the roof. He landed on the Parr's driveway, Juthius and Sikaru right behind him. They faced him, their Keyblades extended out. Pete soon ambled up and stood right next to Riku.

"Bring 'em on!" Pete said and Riku gave a short curt nod. He ran at Juthius and fired off multiple shots of Dark Aura which Juthius managed to deflect easily. He then rushed at his old master and spun around, taking his Keyblade with him. Riku parried the blow and jumped back before leaping into the air. He sent his power into his Keyblade and tossed it at Juthius. Juthius held up Nature's Wrath and managed to bear the brunt of the blow with ease, but part of his arm was sliced in the process. Sikaru, meanwhile, was taunting Pete who kept missing him with his bombs. "Fine then!" Without warning, Pete jumped into the air and slammed down on the ground, sending such a great shockwave that Sikaru was knocked off his feet.

"Looks like your new apprentice is having problems." Riku chided Juthius whose lips twitched for a second.

"Don't worry, you'll get yours. Sikaru, we're leaving!" Juthius flung his Keyblade behind him and opened a portal that he and Sikaru soon leapt into. Riku ran for it, but before long it had disappeared. Then came the explosion near the Parr house, but it didn't faze Riku because they had been betrayed. Not even Gentai had betrayed them this badly because now they were at a true disadvantage.

And those were the events that brought them here. They had explained the situation to the Parr's and Frozone and the five joined them. Turned out Syndrome was dead but, as Riku stated to Pete, he was working with Juthius and Sikaru in the first place so it didn't matter. But still, they had succeeded in their mission but Riku felt empty. How was he going to explain that they had been played since the day Onyx got Kingdom Hearts? He banged a fist on the console out of anger but got himself under control. It was true, Juthius and Sikaru had betrayed him but now it left a new flame in his heart.

When next they met, he would defeat Juthius because the apprentice could no longer live. And besides, if there was one good thing that came out of their visit to Nomanisan, it was this: he knew that he could trust Pete and Maleficent for Pete had helped him in the fight against his old apprentices. And that was worth more than two of Onyx's men any day.

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Author's Note: Completed that at last. My plan is to write one chapter a week and this was a toughie...Sorry if my adaptation is a little off but I don't have the movie right in front of me. So, how many of you were expecting that ending? Sorry if it was a little rushed but still, I know you guys guessed Juthius was a traitor but what about Sikaru? If I ever re-edit this, the fight will be longer but for now it's as is. Now we've completed 2/4 worlds and are almost halfway done. The number of chapters is finalized at 23 chapters and an epilogue. So, please review on the four main parts: Onyx, Melissa, the adaptation, and the betrayal and Dare to Be Silly.


	13. Chapter 12: Assault From the Cathedral

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I only own some slight alterations to plot.**

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Chapter 12

Assault from the Cathedral

A great green flame erupted within the tinted caverns of the Underworld on the Path of the Dead. Below the pallid faced sorceress that appeared within those wretched confines were the swirling souls of those who had died, those who had been cast into the Underworld for all eternity in care of the witch's one time ally Hades. She wrinkled her nose at the wretched sight of the place. It was true, she had been confined to hiding out for twelve long slow years until Onyx forced her hand. And now she was determined to eliminate the man. For that, she needed old allies to come back and join her again. For that reason it had been a very hectic few days for Maleficent. Her first trip had been to Atlantica in her search for where Morgana had been frozen and buried twelve years previously. King Triton, that accursed ruler of the world had thankfully already left, along with Ariel and Eric. And so it was, with little difficulty that she used her powers, still strong even in their weakened states, and rose the great block of ice which contained Ursula's sister from the depths. With a simple wave of her staff, Morgana was at last fread, prostrating herself before the sorceress' feet in shame, and in the hope of mercy.

Maleficent had thought the sight was truly pitiful and, were she not in a merciful mood (no doubt thanks to Sora) she would have smote Morgana on the spot. But regardless, she had business to take care of and ordered Morgana to proceed to her new base on Agradar. Of course, it was wrong to make her home there but she had been undetected in the underground. She had actually hidden in a place that was technically considered off of the map of that world. Beyond the edges of what was once the countries of Agradar and Parotarg and the Guardian Isles. But Maleficent could dawdle with Morgana no longer, for far more troublesome people had to be taken care of. So she went to Neverland, and in very few moments had located the _Jolly Roger_ upon which Captain Hook and his men were. They themselves were already preparing for battle as they had received word (due to some low ships in the atmosphere) that the Interstellar Academy was arriving and that they would most likely team up with Peter Pan. The sorceress quickly assuaged his fears and directed him to Agradar as well, knowing full well that Hook would have to face his rivalry with Pan sooner or later. So she moved on, soon coming to Port Royal.

But she had no intentions of raising Davy Jones from his black abyss. Merely she sought out another long time ally, one who had helped her both when Sora had come nineteen years prior and when Davy Jones had come under the control of Zexion: Captain Hector Barbossa. Barbossa quickly agreed and abandoned his pursuit of Jack Sparrow and left for Radiant Garden. Little did he know that Jack was soon after picked up by the Interstellar Academy. Moving forward she came to Wonderland, and after many threats and headaches, the Cheshire Cat declined her offer and went on. In Maxville, the Interstellar Academy had already arrived and told the authorities of what was going on. Thus, they were forced to accept it when Maleficent freed Royal Pain from jail and took them back to her base. And now she found herself here, hoping that hades would accept her offer and terms.

With a slight scoff she proceeded slowly up the path to Hades chamber. Using the small amount of darkness in her she sensed Hades in his chambers with those two fools, Pain and Panic. But there was something else there, an foreign presence, a trio that seemed to be one, yet known as three: the Fates. Clearly, Hades was having a meeting with them. Of course, Maleficent found it hard to believe that the three fates would aid Hades since after all, it wasn't like they decided when one was to die, they weren't that evil. Yet here they were, helping one who was. At last she reached the stone stairs that led her to Hades' chamber.

"Ladies, could you just tell me how to defeat Hercules?" came Hades' voice, wafting out the chamber in its agitated fashion.

"You know we cannot tell the future. After all of our attempts to do so, people never listen." Said one of the fates.

"Yeah, but you see, the thing here is, I'll listen babe. After all, I want to defeat Hercules and if you tell me how I'll listen." Hades said in his simpering tone.

"Highly doubtful, we cannot make a prophecy here a change history." Another Fate said and Hades groaned when he suddenly heard the click of Maleficent's staff on the floor. He snapped his head towards hr and froze. In the next instant, the Fates were gone.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Hades snapped at her and she smirked a bit. "Last I checked, you were in hiding witch." Hades strode over and sat down on his throne, conjuring up a drink.

"I've recently been pardoned, as we could put it." Maleficent said as she held her ground, looking directly at Hades. "War is coming Hades, this you know. Onyx's threat has made life unbearable, even for you. You know it to be true." Hades turned red for a moment in anger but quickly returned to blue.

"You think life is hard cause I got more dead people coming down the drain. Wait a second, incoming!" Hades said with a wicked sarcasm and truthfully, what happened next was a screaming soul sliding down into the Underworld. Maleficent's mouth twitched. "Get out of here, this is my show!"

"You seem to enjoy doing things on your own...very well." Maleficent said and she turned away from her one time highest lieutenant. "But I warn you now...if Onyx wins, I doubt that even your powers could keep you from the terror he will instill." With those words, she set off again, proceeding down the stone steps. She had barely made it halfway down when suddenly there was burst of smoke directly in front of her and Hades reappeared, barring her way.

"What's this about terror?" Hades asked, a malevolent glint in her eye. "I could only imagine. You want me to work with you, fine."

"You'll be working with Sora and Hercules as well." Maleficent said, her eyes flashing towards him, momentarily.

"Your point. They win, we're no worse off. Onyx wins and I got a lot more dead souls to take care of. I'm in, but don't double-cross me again." Hades said with a snarl and Maleficent nodded her head.

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There was a burst of light within the Court of Miracles and Sora quickly stepped through and into the area in the very late hours of the night that were now arching towards morning. He expected a warm welcome from the friends he had not seen for days, or at the very least an acknowledgement that he had returned. But he had not expected this. There were strips of paper and weavings of baskets strewn everywhere as if the entire Court of Miracles were ransacked in the night. Every gypsy they had met and made friends with was gone and the entire place was empty save for two lone forms on the ground. Two _very_ recognizable forms. Sora quickly dashed over to them.

"Donald! Goofy!" Sora screamed as he ran over and dropped onto his knees. He quickly looked at them for a moment and at first thought they were both dead. He raised his Keyblade above his head and quickly muttered out a cure spell. A bright green flower emerged over Donald and Goofy and showered them with healing light. Suddenly they stirred and Sora was at last relieved, exhaling. Donald was the first one to move and sit up, followed shortly by Goofy who merely raised his head. "What happened, you guys?"

"Uhh...that Frollo feller came here a little bit ago and attacked the place with some soldiers and them Unbirths." Goofy responded, now sitting up and rubbing his head a bit. "Me an' Donald tried to fight 'em but there were too many."

"He captured the gypsies and left, saying he was gonna chain Quasimodo to the bell tower." Donald said quickly and Sora slammed a fist onto the ground. It turned out that he had picked the wrong nights to be missing from the world of Notre Dame.

"But they're okay...right?" Sora asked with a little fear behind his voice. "I mean, Frollo didn't kill them on the spot?"

"Gawrsh Sora, he's planning to be the public executor." Goofy said with worry and Donald immediately started hopping up and down.

"Executioner!!" Donald said and Sora stood up. He briefly looked around the place.

"We don't have any more time to waste you guys...we have to get to Notre Dame!" Sora said quickly and his friends nodded. The three of them set off for the entrance and soon burst out into the graveyard. As they ran, Donald told Sora about what had happened. Their adventure to the Court of Miracles led Frollo straight to the gypsies where he waited until he could summon more Unbirths to destroy the gypsies. Then he came and led an ambush on them, capturing Esmeralda and Phoebus while telling the guards to chain Quasimodo in the cathedral. Donald and Goofy had gotten knocked out in the fight and so Frollo had left them there, believing them to be dead. Sora decided that their first stop would be the cathedral.

"If we free Quasimodo then he can help us. We know he has strength if he chooses to use it, just like the Beast. So let's coax it out of him and stop Frollo." Sora said. His friends readily agreed and they made a great dash toward the cathedral. They passed by the square where the festival was being held and saw Esmeralda on the stake. Sora froze and suddenly became torn between two impulses: one to free Quasimodo and one to save Esmeralda. Before he could make his decision, Frollo's voice echoed throughout the square.

"The prisoner Esmeralda has been found guilty of the crime of witchcraft. The sentence is death!" Frollo cried out and Sora felt a tug on his clothing. He looked over to see Donald pointing towards the cathedral. he nodded and followed him. If they had Quasimodo then they could certainly save Esmeralda. "The gypsy Esmeralda has refused to recant. This evil witch has put the soul of every citizen in Paris in mortal danger." But Sora heard no more as they reached the cathedral doors and slipped inside. They quickly made a beeline for the stairs to Qusaimodo's tower and the Sora skipped them two at a time. As he came closer he heard the gargoyles talking.

"Your friends are down there!" Victor said in a truly desperate tone.

"You gotta break these chains Quasimodo!" Laverne yelled at Quasimodo, hoping to arouse him from his depression.

"I already tried. I can't. What difference would it make? Frollo's won." Quasimodo said in one of the most dejected voices that Sora had ever heard.

"And who said that?!" Sora said triumphantly as he emerged onto the parapet where Quasimodo was completely chained. "Look here Quasi, you can't just give up! I could free you from these chains with a flick of my Keyblade, in fact that's what I was planning on doing, but look at you. 'I'm Quasimodo and I'm so weak I can't help my friends'. Bullcrap!"

"Leave me alone." Quasimodo said and he turned away.

"You know Sora...we really should." Hugo said to the thirty-four year old man whose shoulders sagged slightly. "Besides, we gargoyles are only made of stone."

"But we thought Quasimodo was made of something stronger." Laverne said as the three gargoyles hopped outside and turned themselves back into stone. Suddenly Frollo's voice echoed to the top of the cathedral.

"It is my shameful duty to send this poor girl back to where she belongs!" Frollo cried and suddenly, something snapped within Quasimodo. Instantly he began pulling at the chains that were binding him, growling ferociously. Sora smiled as he watched Quasimodo struggle. The pillars started cracking and the chains started breaking. Suddenly there was a great wrenching noise and Quasimodo had broken free. Without a word to Sora he grabbed a rope from the bells and stepped over to the edge. He jumped off the roof of the cathedral and swung into the square, landing on the platform next to Esmeralda.

"Uhh...how's he gonna get back up?" Goofy asked and Sora looked shocked. Thenm the three of them ran over to the edge and saw Quasimodo grab the robe at the bottom, with Esmeralda slung over his shoulder. Sora, Donald, and Goofy all grabbed the rope and began pulling the Hunchback up. Finally at last they had reached the safety of the cathedral where Quasimodo gave a great cry of "Sanctuary!" Sora, Donald and Goofy raised their hands in victory before Sora looked down and saw some men advancing on the cathedral.

"Uh, Quasi, we got some problems called soldiers." Sora said, quickly summoning his Keyblade as Goofy took out his shield and Donald his staff. Quasimodo grabbed a block of wood and ran over to the edge, hurling it at the soldiers. They scurried like ants before Frollo quickly ordered some of them to use it as a battering ram. Sora scanned the area and suddenly saw Phoebus break out. "All right, we got ourselves a mob of angry citizens. Let's kick some soldier butt."

"Sora, we've got a bigger problem." Sora snapped a look to Donald, who had just made the comment, and followed his feathered finger to Frollo who waved his arms. There was a suden rush of mist and suddenly a giant and huge Unbirth implanted itself into the side of the cathedral. Sora cocked his head at it for a moment and grimaced.

"Not good." Sora said with a wince and suddenly a set of eight very large and green tentacles flew out from the skinny body with a large round head. Sora held up his Keyblade in a defensive stance when the tentacle made contact with him and threw him across the exterior of the building. Sora hit the side of a turret and began a descent to the square but he quickly grabbed onto a gutter in the cathedral. He attempted to pull himself up but it wasn't working. He glanced over and saw Donald and Goofy battling the giant Unbirth. Suddenly a small voice erupted from behind his head.

"Sora! Donald and Goofy need help fighting the Land Octopus Unbirth." Jiminy cried out and Sora attempted to pull himself up but part of the gutter began to snap.

"Great that you have a name for it Jiminy, but is this really the time?" Sora snapped before a thought hit him. One that could save both him and his friends. _Roxas, I hope you're ready to lend me some power._ There was an acknowledgement from his Nobody within his head and Sora smirked. Sometimes, it was good to turn into a Heartless all those years ago. He focused on the Nobody within his heart and suddenly he was bathed in light. Donald and Goofy suddenly disappeared from the field and Sora let go of the ledge. But he fell no farther for he emerged in the silver clothing and dual-wielding fashion of Final Form, both the Oathkeeper and Oblivion floating around and circling in front of him. With a thought in his mind, Sora flew straight up and aimed straight for the Unbirth. It turned its red eyes toward him and snarled. All eight of the tentacles flew at him. "You want to play? Let's play!"

Sora rose higher into the air, narrowly avoiding the tentacles. With a burst of his mind he moved his hands forward and both Keyblades flew forth and battered against the tentacles. For a moment it seemed to repel them but then they struck back with a vengeful fury. All eight slammed Sora sent him reeling across the sky. Sora slowed himself down an burst forward, using his mind to hold his Keyblades at his sides. They began spinning in great columns of light as he dashedforward. The tentacles came at him again but this time they shied away from Sora's spinning Keyblades out of fear. Sora then angled his body at the head of the Unbirth. He drove right through it but when he emerged he saw the head was merely wounded. He glanced at the Unbirth and noticed the body and he knew he would need to attack there. The sounds of battle were now raging around him and Sora had to think fast or else he'd be dead.

"Hey Sora, need some help?" Hugo cried out and Sora grinned broadly when he saw the fat gargoyle streaking his way along the roof, churning pebbles out of his mouth like a machine gun.

"Great Hugo! Aim at the tentacles and distract them!" Sora said. Hugo saluted and fired at the tentacles. Sora would have only one shot at the this. He flew in at a blazing speed, his Keyblades at the ready. Then, to the Unbirth's eyes, he disappeared. Suddenly a great gash opened in the Unbirth's body, and then two and three as Sora zipped around and caused immense harm to the Unbirth. He then came and landed on a parapet of the cathedral. The Unbirth was squealing in pain and Sora separated Donald and Goofy from his heart. The two friends appeared beside him. "Ready for trinity?" They nodded. Goofy fired out a bunch of yellow orbs from his shield that slammed the monster's core, Donald let off a spell that sent muti-colored projectiles streaking everywhere, all zeroing in on the core and Sora ran up and hit the core over and over. The three finally came together and touched their weapons together. There was a large burst of light, one last howl from the Unbirth and at last, it was gone; the only reminder that it was there being a hole on the side of the cathedral.

"We gotta go help Quasimodo?!" Goofy yelled loudly and Sora nodded. The three of them suddenly dashed back to Quasimodo's room when they heard the sounds of battle dying down. Sora caught a glimpse and saw that their side was winning. They finally emerged to see Quasimodo crying over Esmeralda's limp form. Then Frollo came into the room.

"You killed her!" Quasimodo seethed at the man.

"It was my duty, horrible as it was. I hope you can forgive me. I know it hurts, but it is time to end your suffering." Frollo said in a mock caring tone. He withdrew a dagger from his cloak.

"No!" Sora yelled and he dashed it. With a single flick of his Keyblade, now having returned to the form of Kingdom's Crown, he disarmed Frollo. Quasimodo turned on his former master.

"Now, now all of you, listen to me..." Frollo pleaded as he stumbled backward.

"No! You listen to me!" Quasimodo screamed. "All my life you told me the world was a dark cruel place but now I see the only thing dark and cruel about it are people like you!" Suddenly Esmeralda stirred and the scene froze as everyone in the room looked at her. Frollo was the first to move as he suddenly grabbed a sword.

"Quasimodo, grab her and run!" Sora yelled and he lunged across, using his Keyblade to block the blow of the sword. Quasimodo grabbed Esmeralda and did as Sora commanded. Frollo took advantage of Sora's current disadvantage and nailed him in the stomach with his knee. Then, before anyone could act, he plunged his sword through the Keyblade Master's stomach. Sora gagged in pain for a moment and Frollo withdrew the sword. Sora's breathing became raspy and he stumbled to the floor. Frollo left Donald and Goofy to watch over their friend's body as he pursued Quasimodo.

"Come on, Sora, get up! Ya gotta get up!" Donald screamed as Sora began twitching slightly on the floor, blood leaking from his chest and onto the floor. Tears began welling up in Goofy's eyes as Sora reached his hand towards his friends.

"All for one..." Sora breathed out with a small smile.

"...and one for all." Goofy finished as both he and Donald placed their hands over Sora's. But Donald's temper was rising. He wasn't letting Sora go down. "Donald, I think you oughta go get Frollo, I'll give Sora some of that medicine." Donald nodded fiercely and ran out onto the balcony where Quasimodo was attempting to evade Frollo. Frollo swung the sword at Quasimodo but Quasimodo managed to dodge it. Frollo raised the sword again and Donald sent a lightning spell from his staff, straight to the sword. The shock was enough the Frollo let go of the sword and it fell onto the roof and clattered by a gargoyle near Quasimodo.

"That was for Sora!" Donald cried. Frollo snarled at the duck and court mage of Disney Castle.

"I should have known that all of you would risk your lives to save that gypsy witch. Especially you, Quasimodo. After all, your own mother died trying to protect you." Frollo snarled and this gave Quasimodo enough pause as Frollo advanced on him. "Now I'm going to do what I should have done twenty years ago!" Frollo suddenly swung his cape around and smothered Quasimodo's head with it. Quasimodo stumbled back and Esmeralda grabbed him. Suddenly, the two ere hanging off the cathedral. But Quasimodo, in his panic, grabbed Frollo and suddenly the judge was hanging from him as well. Frollo looked around and through his cape on a nearby gargoyle. He pulled himself up and grabbed his sword, raising it above his head. "Your friend Sora has already fallen and you shall be next. And He shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit!"

"Hell yeah, He will!" cried a voice and Frollo looked on top of the gargoyle to find a fully healed Sora standing right in front of him, the tip of his Keyblade resting on his cloak. "Surprised? My magic can work wonders." Frollo suddenly looked at him with fear. "Flame." Suddenly, Frollo's cloak was lit on fire and he panicked. He tried blowing on the cloak but with all his twists and turns, the gargoyle began to crack and with a sense of shock as Sora leapt from it, the gargoyle broke, sending the now burning Frollo into the streets below. Sora breathed a sigh of relief and clutched his side as he winced in pain. He would have to take care of that when he got home. But suddenly it seemed as if Quasimodo was slipping. Sora dashed over and leapt of the cathedral, thinking about Kairi and he began to fly. He grabbed Quasimodo as he lost his grip and the two began a slow descent to the bottom; but they were quickly gaining speed. Quasimodo lost his grip and tumbled below. Sora went after him like a shot but there was no need for concern as Phoebus caught the falling hunchback. The two embraced as friends and brothers. Sora landed and ran over to them, patting them on the back. A few minutes later, as they trudged towards the Cathedral, Esmeralda, Donald, and Goofy came running out. Sora, Donald, and Goofy all hugged and danced around, grateful that the Keyblade Master was alive as Quasimodo forced Esmeralda and Phoebus together as they kissed. Phoebus then turned to Sora.

"So Sora, I believe you had mentioned something about building an army?" Phoebus said with a smile, indicating a joke and Sora laughed loudly. He was happy, truly happy, and they were one step closer to beating Onyx.

**

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Author's Note: Well that's that intense chapter. I'm sure when you saw Sora's death for a moment you we're like "NO!! NOT SORA!!!" But alas, fears proved meaningless. Now then, three quick things. 1) For those of you who did not notice before, the Incredibles world is named Nomanisan after the island there, this world was Notre Dame, KP was Middleton and FFIV is Blue Planet. 2) There is a common confusion that Juthias' last name is "Iscariot" which is the same as the most infamous traitor of all time but this is wrong. If you look on my profile page you will notice that it is "Iscarot". No second "i". 3) The next chapter will be exceedingly important so if you will review any single one, it had better be that one. Also a big thanks to Vergil Theart for reviewing the story and favoriting it and I hope to see you again. Hope you enjoyed, review on all the main points (including the beginning with Maleficent) and Dare to Be Silly.


	14. Chapter 13: Light and Dark

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy IV but I own a huge important part of this.**

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Chapter 13

Light and Dark

The hall of the Crystal Palace on the Lunar Surface was completely silent at Fusoya's proclamation regarding Cecil's lineage and no one dared to speak for fear of shattering that sacred silence and perhaps bringing about something even worse. Jim was the firstone to say anything at all.

"Wait a minute...so Cecil is from the moon?" Jim said with an arched eyebrow at Fusoya and the old man chuckled. "Talk about strange."

"No stranger than someone not from this world." Fusoya stated with a slight gleam in his eye and a glance towards Jim. But Cecil seemed strangely deep in thought. When he at last looked up he had a new question on the tip of his tongue.

"Then that voice that I heard at Mount Ordeals..." Cecil said, tapering off at the end, and giving a moment for Fusoya to respond.

"Was the spirit of your father. Indeed, you seem to be the very image of Kluya in his youth." Fusoya said with a smile. Edge cocked his head a bit as he looked at Cecil and Fusoya in turn.

"So then...you would be his uncle?" Edge asked and Rydia glared at him slightly for being so inconsiderate. Fusoya gave a short nod but other than that, completely ignored the young Eblan prince's statement.

"Kluya vested you with his power so that you might foil Zemus' plot. Zemus must be stopped! For the sake of your people and mine as well." Fusoya stepped down from the dias on which he was standing and walked past them. Mickey glanced at him as he did so, as if waiting for the man to say something. "We must hurry to the Tower of Babil near Eblan."

"Yeah well, that's too bad for us then isn't it?" Edge stated with a slight smirk.

"The tower's protected by a barrier." Mickey said with worry to the old Lunarian. He merely smiled for a moment before his look turned absolutely grave.

"I should be able to bypass the barrier. We cannot let the Giant escape into your world!" Fusoya stated and with that he led the entire group out of the Crystal Palace. With a sense of purpose he quickly boarded the Lunar Whale and everyone followed. Once everyone was on board, Fusoya touched the crystal and the ship immediately began its trip back down to the Blue Planet. In but a few seconds, the ship had finally reached its location on the planet. Jim took the reigns at this point and began guiding the ship over to the tower of Babil. Suddenly, there was a large grinding sound and the ground near the Tower of Babil began to shiver and quake. All of the party on the Lunar Whale looked over what was going on in fear and anticipation.

"What's going on?!" Rydia suddenly cried out. The ground split underneath them and a great huge head suddenly arose from underneath up to the surface. It seemed to be giant and mechanical but was purely black as night, like the heart of Golbez and Zemus themselves. Energy crackled down the tower and fed into the now emerging giant from beneath the earth.

"We were too late." Fusoya said in shame. "The Giant has come." As if on cue, the massive Giant was at last fully emerged from the ground. It let out a great giant bellow before its red eyes shone brightly and great beams of light fired from its gigantic hands across the land near Eblan, destroying the mountains. Rosa collapsed onto her knees in anguish.

"No..." she moaned out in sadness and Cecil held her as he stared out the window at the destruction now being wrought.

"This can't be happening!" Edge said, pounding a fist on the console. Tears started streaming from Rydia's own eyes as the watched the havoc and chaos now wrought upon the Blue Planet.

"Isn't there something we could do?" Rydia sobbed out and Jim was ready to curse the very existence of Golbez and Zemus when something caught his eye out the window.

"Hold on..." Jim breathed out as he rubbed his eyes and made sure that they weren't playing a trick on him. "What's that?!" Mickey ran to the window and looked out to see a great number of red airships surrounding the giant. In fact, everyone now ran over to see what was going on and they were glad they had. For on one ship they saw Yang with fairy-like creatures known as Sylphs, who seemed to be (from a distance) fussing over the state of his health. Cid and his boys were also manning some of the ships around the Giant. On another ship was an older man who was the elder of Mysidia as well as two younger children, a boy and a girl that Mickey presumed to be Palom and Porom. On the final ship circling round was a young prince with blonde hair that Cecil called Prince Edward of Damcyan.

"They all came to fight." Cecil said in absolute awe of the strength that all their friends were showing for this final battle. Suddenly the ships surrounding the Giant began to hit it with a fresh barrage of attacks and the Giant seemed to fall to a halt and remained immobilized. Rosa quickly commented on this.

"This is our chance, then!" Fusoya proclaimed. "We can now get inside that accursed giant."

"And smash it up good!" Edge said with bravado and Mickey nodded determinedly. Cecil strode over to some controls and opened up a communications patch.

"Cid, we're going to need your help Cid!" Cecil ordered and the ship containing Cid suddenly broke off from the attack and came near the Lunar Whale. Jim opened up the hatch and the group of seven stepped out and landed on Cid's ship. The Lunar Whale continued to float above, unfazed by the sudden loss in personnel. Fusoya was the first to stride up to Cid.

"Take us to the Giant's mouth!" Fusoya ordered and Cid looked absolutely affronted.

"Who does this white-hair think he is, ordering me about?!" Cid demanded of the now boarded party.

"His name is Fusoya, from the moon." Mickey said with a smile. "But come on Cid, we don't have a lot of time. Think you can get us close enough to jump."

"Can a fish swim?" Cid said, looking even more affronted than he had the moment before. "Who do you think you're talking to?" Without another word being spoken, Cid took command of the ship and flew it towards the Giant which was still immobilized. Within a few seconds, Cid bade the party farewell as they jumped off and entered the Giant. The entire construct was mechanical with whirs and teleportation pads leading from one place to the next. The only good thing about that design was the fact that for the most part, it was very linear. The group quickly set off and down the throat of the giant until they reached a teleportation pad that teleported them to another very long corridor. With great haste, they set off down that as well. But before they had reached halfway, suddenly a great column of red flame rose before them. When it passed, the towering figure of Rubicante was once more before them.

"At last you've come!' came his voice and Mickey immediately summoned his Keyblade into his hand. Then there was a rush of wind to their left and a woman who was completely yellow all over (and almost completely nude for that matter) appeared in a turret of wind.

"The Giant cannot be stopped." the woman said and Mickey figured this was Barbariccia, the fiend of wind. Then there was a splash of water and the hard-shelled form of Cagnazzo appeared.

"But you can!" And he let off a wicked laugh to beat all wicked laughs. Then there was a flash of darkness and the hooded form of Scarmiglione appeared behind them, completely surrounding all of them.

"This will be your tomb!" Scarmiglione cried in a faintly pitiful voice.

"Not you freaks again..." Jim said in a truly exasperated tone.

"Our master Zemus..." Scarmiglione said as he shed his hood to reveal the mighty undead form beneath.

"Gifted us with life..." Cagnazzo continued, readying itself for attack.

"To rob you of yours!" Barbariccia said and her body suddenly became a great twister as she whirled around.

"How I've yearned for this!" Rubicante stated with a great chuckle. "When last we met, you taught me a great truth...that many are more powerful than one! I'll restore you to full strength." A white light surrounded the group and all of their pain and wounds seemed to disappear. "Now show us what power you possess." Without another gesture, all hell broke loose at once. Mickey flipped forward through the air to engage the whirling form of Barbariccia. The two swordsman of the group, Cecil and Edge immediately struck out for Rubicante while Jim and Rydia took on Cagnazzo. And this left both Fusoya and Rosa to deal with Scarmiglione.

Scarmiglione charged at the duo, trying to knock them off the wide platfrom upon which the group was standing. Fusoya immediately began reciting an incantation and large balls of flame flew at the fiend of earth and struck it with unimaginable fury. Scarmiglione howled in pain as the heat tried to force his body to succumb. But, from all of his bending to escape the pain he snapped his head up and moved passed it all. He reared his great form back and slammed himself down onto the ground with a mighty slam. A shuddering quake led its way straight for the Lunarian and white mage. Without thinking, Rosa summoned the white blocks around herself and cast a Float spell over both of them. The quake missed them entirely. She locked eyes with Cecil's uncle and both of them knew what to do to the undead fiend. Together they summoned a dualcast together and a healing wave spread across Scarmiglione's body. He howled as his body was wracked in pain. His already dead and lifeless eyes shone for but a moment more with the malice of life, before he cried out his master's name and disappeared.

On another edge of the platfrom both Jim and Rydia were dealing with the water fiend Cagnazzo. Jim kept firing off his plasma shots at the great shelled turtle. But Cagnazzo merely retreated into the safety of his shell and Jim's shots merely bounced off. Soon, Jim was out of shots to take and he had to reload his plasma gun. He quickly dove into the pocket of his uniform and inserted the plasma into his gun. But Cagnazzo had other plans. He quickly popped out of his shell before using his legs as a pivot point to start spinning around. He withdrew once more into his shell as he began a rapid spin towards Jim. Jim kept firing more shots but now they ricocheted off and nearly hit him. Rydia dashed in and a great torrent of yellow lightning flashed in on the opposition. Cagnazzo began to slow down from the intense amount of electricity now coursing through him. Finally he stopped and came out when all of a sudden water began to surge at his feet. Jim and Rydia looked at each other for a moment, very confused as to what Cagnazzo might do.

"I'll save a briny pit for you in HELL!!!!" Cagnazzo roared and the water encompassed his whole body. He charged forward and the water surged with it, transforming itself into a large wave that threatened to engulf and suffocate both Rydia and Jim. Jim fird at the wave hoping to break it up. Some holes appeared in the crushing torrent and he quickly signaled to Rydia that now was the time. Rydia sent more lightning through the holes and the water instantly became vaporized. Cagnazzo was left there, a dumb expression on his face, and water still around his feet. Rydia smirked and sent another torrent of electricity at the fiend and he suddenly disappeared, howling in agony. But the battle against the four fiends was not yet finished.

The king himself was dealing with Barbariccia, who despite not being the toughest of the four fiends, still proved to be an indomitable opposition. With great fury she whirled around to try and ensnare Mickey who was in constant motion. However, her quick movements finally enabled herself to cut the king of Disney Castle off. Mickey glared at the third archfiend who smiled a wicked grin. With a wave of her hands, suddenly a tornado (which was more of a mini maelstrom) formed around Mickey and began to squeeze all of the air out of his mouse-size lungs. Mickey gasped for air while he pointed his Keyblade to the ground and screamed "Quake!" Suddenly there was a ripple at the base of the tornado engulfing him and the wind tunnel disappeared, Mickey dropping to the ground. Mickey quickly tried to catch his breath as Barbariccia howled in anger and sped towards him. Mickey barely dodged her whirling form before remembering the one detail that Cecil and the others had told them about their previous battle with Barbariccia: Kain would jump to stop her from whirling. Mickey flipped backwards and then used his Keyblade like a pole vault and leapt up into the air. He whirled around before

Crashing down upon the unsuspecting Barbariccia whose surprise proved nearly fatal and her whirling form disappeared to show her regular human form. She lashed out with torrents of blue lightning and Mickey erected a reflect shield that absorbed the blow. He inched forward very slowly as he deflected the bolts until he was close enough. He disengaged the shield and leapt straight at the archfiend of wind, plunging his Keyblade straight through her. She had a look of shock for a moment and then disappeared. Mickey ran up with the rest of them to see Cecil and Edge dueling Rubicante in battle.

Rubicante was consistently whipping around in attempt to hit the two with his mantle but both Cecil and Edge efficiently side-stepped all of them. Cecil thrust forward, aiming to pierce Rubicante but the fire lord sent a barrage of five fireballs at Cecil. Edge leapt in front of his ally yelling "Blaze!" and a flaming circle appeared in front of him, absorbing the five fireballs. Rubicante growled loudly and opened his mantle wide and prepared to summon a very powerful flame to incinerate them. Edge looked at Cecil and they nodded. Edge rushed forward at Rubicante, drawing some shuriken from his pocket. He whipped them at Rubicante who launched some flames at them, annihilating them on the spot. That distraction was all that Edge needed as he got in there and kicked Rubicante forcing the fiend to close his cloak. The split-second he was doing so was all Cecil took to run his sword through the fiend. Rubicante chuckled.

"A sound and thorough defeat..." Rubicante said before he too passed. Everyone was now tired, limbs sagging, knees dropping from their latest encounter. Mickey summoned strength from within him and used Healing Light on everybody. Now restored to full strength, they moved on until they reached a central hub of the giant. Three nodes, one larger than all the rest stood before them. Fusoya seemed to know about the designs of them.

"That large one is the main CPU, the other two are the attack and defense node. Rydia and I shall destroy the defense node with our magic; Jim and Edge, both of you are fast enough to take out the attack node. Your Majesty, Cecil, take out the main computer." Fusoya told them. The whole group nodded and set out for their respective goals quickly smashing apart the entire computer. As soon as they had done so there was a great lurch and the giant stopped moving.

"It's done! The Giant stopped moving!" Edge proclaimed happily, but their happiness was to be short lived.

"You! How dare you meddle in this!" came the voice of Golbez and they saw him standing at the foot of stairs that lead into the Giant's fine operating systems. "Long have I waited to send the crystals to the moon so they might activate here."

"Those crystals are not the same as those on the moon, but crystals that channel the will of those on the moon." Fusoya cried out to Golbez when suddenly he froze. As he glanced upon the darkened armor of Golbez, something washed over him. "You-you're..."

"Can you not speak old man?!" Golbez cried out jeeringly. Fusoya suddenly fell onto his knees and looked at the man weakly.

"Do you not even know your true self?" Fusoya said shaking his hand, and though Golbez was masked in armor it could not have been plainer that he was confused. Fusoya suddenly waved a hand in front of him. "Awaken!" Golbez suddenly lurched backwards and then stopped. he looked around confusedly, almost as if he didn't know how he had gotten here, or why he had felt the way that he did.

"Why? Why was I so consumed by hate?" Golbez stated, his head hanging low as Fusoya tried to stand.

"You've regained your senses then...Tell me, do you remember your father's name?" Fusoya said and Mickey felt that a terrible truth was soon to be revealed.

"My father...his name was Kluya." Golbez responded and everyone but Mickey seemed taken aback. Golbez was Cecil's brother. Cecil, was the most shocked of them all.

"Golbez is my..." Cecil stated in sheer disbelief but Fusoya cut across him.

"You were being manipulated by the all-powerful will of Zemus. Your Lunarian blood rendered you an easy target for his curse and bound your thoughts to his. Knowing full well that you were on the Blue Planet he had you seek out the crystals that channel the soul of those on the moon so that they could somehow commune and raise the Giant of Babil." Golbez hung his head even more in shame. "To think, that Kluya's son's would be made to fight one another." And with that, the spell Fusoya had cast took a toll and he collapsed. The group, save for Cecil ran forward and took a look at Fusoya, Rosa and Mickey casting a cure spell on him.

"I fought him...I hated him...My own brother." Cecil said and Golbez acknowledged the fact that Cecil was his brother, the reason he could not kill him at the Tower of Zot. "But were it me the one Zemus chose to control our roles might just as well have been reversed."

"No..." Golbez said, denying Cecil's claim. "There was evil in me long before this. I'm the one who abandoned you. You see, I had always wanted a little brother and when I found that our mother Cecilia was pregnant with you, I, Theodore was overcome with joy. However, mere weeks before our mother was to give birth to you, some men who were angry at our father for not teaching them more of his spells, killed him. All alone in this world, when my mother had you, she died in childbirth. When we were alone, Zemus connected his will to mine and named me Golbez. I left you in a forest outside Baron because I hated you and blamed you for all that had happened. After that, I took to the borderlands where I could hide from other's eyes. Wracked by guilt...ashamed to show my face. I would not think to ask for your forgiveness now but I am glad that you survived. What better a pawn could Zemus have possibly chosen than this?" With those words, he whipped around, his cape billowing and began to walk off.

"Where will you go?" Fusoya asked in a slightly feeble voice.

"To put and end to all this." Golbez said and Fusoya nodded, stating that he would go with him as Zemus was a Lunarian. The two strode off together but before they left completely Golbez turned to Cecil. "Farewell, Cecil." And they were gone. Mickey turned to Cecil.

"Gosh Cecil...I know he wasn't a good guy but he is your brother...and, ya know...I think he means to die in there." Mickey said but Cecil's face and expression of confusion and depression did not change.

"He's your brother..." Rydia suddenly stressed to him and he looked up at this. "Your blood...your only living family." As Rydia close doff her words, the Giant began to shake.

"We better get out of here people!" Jim yelled and a new, yet old, and deep voice reached their ears.

"This way!" Kain yelled from where Golbez had entered before, indicating that there was a way out. Jim suddenly became rigid and glared in his direction.

"Trying to trick us again are you?" Jim said but Mickey put a hand on his leg, the highest up that he could reach, and Jim looked at him.

"I think it's the only chance we have to get out of here." Mickey stated and Jim looked at the king a moment before nodding. He motioned the group forward and they all ran after Kain, coming to a control station which had an elevator within it that took them to the base and deposited them at the feet of the Giant. They quickly ran away as the Giant fell and slammed into the base of the Tower of Babil which shuddered but ultimately remained still. In the cleaing dust, the Lunar Whale at last descended towards them and permitted them to come on board. Clearly, Fusoya and Golbez had known another way to the moon. When they were at last safely inside, Kain spoke.

"My mind is my own again. I cannot expect to ask for forgiveness." Kain stated and Edge busted forward out of anger.

"Forgiveness?!" Edge raged at the dragoon. "It's your fault the Giant appeaed in the first place!"

"Stop it!" Rosa yelled and everybody looked at her. "Golbez broke free as well. None of this is your fault."

"What do you mean?" Kain asked, utterly confused by what she had said, as he had not been there at the moment of the revelation.

"Golbez is Cecil's older brother." Rosa explained and Kain was completely taken aback. "A Lunarian named Zemus was making use of Golbez's Lunarian blood as a means to control him." Kain cast his head down a moment, deep in thought.

"Golbez was Cecil's brother." He looked up at the entire group now aboard the Lunar Whale. "Well, it seems I've a debt to repay Zemus too."

"Ha! And when he takes over your mind again?" Edge asked haughtily and Kain faced the prince with a smirk.

"If that should happen then kill me without a second thought." Kain said and Edge scoffed.

"Then count me in too. I've got a couple of blades with Zemus' name on them!" Edge said with exuberant pride and Jim smiled.

"Somehow I think we all have something to give Zemus, right Your Majesty?" Jim said, facing the mouse king who nodded. Cecil faced his companions.

"Let's go, to the moon. But Rosa and Rydia stay behind, this time there may be no homecoming." Cecil said, facing the two females aboard the ship. Immediately they began to protest but Cecil's word was final and he soon ordered them off of the ship. They left in screams o anger.

"Cecil..." Mickey said, but Cecil shook his head.

"Please, Your Majesty, do not argue." Cecil nodded at Jim who solemnly touched the transportation crystal and whisked them off to the moon in seconds, once more depositing them outside the Crystal Palace. The five warriors now moved off to exit the ship, only to be faced with the form of Rosa. "Step aside Rosa."

"I'm not going anywhere." Rosa asserted and Mickey and Jim, as well as Kain, all grinned. "Without me along, who will heal you when you're hurt. Even His Majesty cannot constantly heal you."

"You can't win this one Cecil." Kain said and everyone on the ship agreed that there was no use arguing with a woman (which Mickey knew was plain to see with him and Minnie, as well as Sora and Kairi).

"Then I'll argue no more, your help is welcome." Cecil said with a smile on his face and both Cecil and Rosa embraced. Then the green-garbed form of Rydia appeared with a devilish smirk on his face.

"Just as we planned!" Rydia said and Edge freaked out that she was there. Jim merely laughed. "This battle is ours as mcuh as anyone's, even after we beat Zemus, right Your Majesty?" Mickey chuckled a bit and they all nodded at Rydia. With that, the party of seven one more stepped out onto the surface of the moon. They headed back into the Crystal Palace and saw that Fusoya and Golbex were gone. They moved deeper into the palace, and through a door behind where they had met Fusoya. Just as Fusoya had said, there were eight crystals here shining brightly that almost seemed to be whispering. In the middle of the eight of them was a large white, square pad. In an instant they all seemed to notice that would teleport them to where Zemus was. They stood upon and waited. A large light began growing between the crystals before it reached its zenith and faded...but Mickey and Jim were nowhere to be seen and they were still in the same room.

Mickey and Jim had appeared in a completely alternate plane that was suspended in the air. Beyond, Mickey could see fields of flowers and grass. When he looked another way he saw what seemed to be the castle of Radiant Garden. It almost seemed as though it were a portal to all the worlds, but their companions were nowhere in sight. Instead, surrounding them were eight statues with eight different names inscribed on them. Suddenly, a disembodied voice spoke.

"Welcome King Mickey Mouse of Disney Castle and James Pleiades Hawkins of Montressor, we have been waiting for you." Mickey attempted to summon his Keyblade but somehow noticed that he could not at all. It mattered not because moments later, eight benign figures were floating before them and in front of their statues. The one who had spoken to them was a woman in long flowing green robes with blonde hair and the way she held herself suggested she was the leader of the eight who were gathered here.

"Who are you fellas?" Mickey asked,slightly in awe and slightly in fright.

"We are the crystal deities, eight who are here on the Blue Planet, creators of the Keyblade and rulers of this galaxy." Said the woman in a mystical voice. Jim started forward.

"Wait, creators of the Keyblade?" Jim said confusedly. "Then why call me here, I don't wield a Keyblade."

"Impertinent as always, James Hawkins." Said a male voice next to the woman they had been speaking to. He was wearing a red cloak and had rust-colored hair to match it. "We called you here because you are just as important."

"Precisely," the woman said. "You Jim Hawkins are the tie of light which no darkness can break."

"What does that even mean?!" Jim asked incredulously.

"You will come to understand that in time, but there are far more important matters to discuss. Matters which will forever shape this galaxy." She told them and Mickey looked at her. She chuckled. "Perhaps we should introduce ourselves. I am Gail, deity of the Realm of Light and Wind."

"Flaron." Said the red-garbed man. "Deity of the Realm of Light and Fire." And so they all passed around, describing their names, two of which were very familiar. Oceana and Roxxor of the Realm of Light and of Water and Earth respectively. And then there was Twilik, Nictus, Shardus, and Gairon of the Realm of Darkness and of Twilight, Night, Shadow, and the Underground. It was clear however, that Gail and Flaron were the official leaders of this troupe.

"Now, Your Majesty we must talk. We pray that you do not interrupt for there are many questions that I am sure you have and many that will be answered in our telling. Sit." Gail waved a hand and two plan white chairs suddenly appeared for them all to sit on. Jim and Mickey did as they were ordered, their minds and heart burning with new questions at this appearance and this event.

"We begin over a thousand years ago to when we were first sent to govern this galaxy." Gail began the tale. "At the time we were ten, sent by the One who tasked us to rule this galaxy. In that time this galaxy had fallen deep into darkness and so we needed a high antidote of light. The Keyblade, forged by us as our weapons were all that we believed we needed. As you know Your Majesty, there are four realms, those of Light, darkness, In-Between, and Nothingness. The eight of us you see here are the upholders of light and darkness, four each. It has always been this way, and always will be, but at the time we came here there was one for the Realm In-Between and one for the Realm of Nothingness. Though it was our policies that at the time angels could not interfere with the events of a galaxy, things required desperate measures. And so, we determined that one angel from each of the four realms would go to the galaxy as humans and Keyblade wielders, to find those pure of heart who the Keyblade (which incidentally has a mind of its own), would choose. However, things did not go as expected as our overseer of the Realm of Nothingness declined, knowing more of the future than we do, split into three as was their nature and settled upon a world in the galaxy where no one would speak to them for centuries.

"Regardless, our plan still went forward and we sent three of us deities, Oceana, who being a deity of light had no darkness in her heart, Gairon who used his darkness much like your friend Riku, and Windsor from the Realm In-Between who chose light over darkness and thus had no light in his human heart. These three ended up bringing the Keyblade into this galaxy and after finding many who were struggling and yet pure of heart, they formed the Round of the Crown, the ten general being a tribute to the original ten deities. And so peace was brought, more or less to the galaxy. But soon, Windsor found an exceptionally powerful Keyblade wielder, and so impressed was he with his skill he petitioned him to be made a deity within his realm. Seeing no qualms, we obliged and so our number of deities was now thirteen. The man that was made a deity was known as Luxcrieve Ardintous, Onyx's longtime ancestor."

"Wait, but that would mean Onyx is a deity?!" Mickey yelped out, forgetting his promise to be silent in light of this new information. Flaron shook his head.

"No, Your Majesty, the power of a deity remains only within one who is, and not down their line. Only the Keyblade can pass down a line in someone's blood...but never that trait." Flaron answered him before clearing his throat. "Regardless, time moved on. You have heard of course of Windsor, Gairon, and Oceana's ability to seemingly live forever, this was true because they _were_ immortal. But still, peace did not last long for both Windsor and Luxcrieve, having seen the evils of the world were tempted by it and so began to fall into darkness. Luxcrieve broke the rule that no deity can reproduce with another or a human but Luxcrieve had already been in love with a woman when he became a deity and so Onyx's line was born. Windsor himself then began construction on a weapon known as Oblivion, which has now been lost and never will be found again, in order to take over the worlds. Disturbed as we were by Windsor's actions, we called him back."

"We called the other three deities and the thirteen assembled to hold a trial against Windsor and Luxcrieve." Gail continued with the thread. "As was usual, the wisest human of the time was called to observe the trial. One who our three of the Realm of Nothingness said they trusted: your master, Yen Sid. However, the trial did not go as planned for when the thirteen of us met we made a prophecy. The prophecy seemed to be a beacon of light and darkness and we forgot about Windsor and Luxcrieve's transgressions. However, Windsor misinterpreted the prophecy. You see, there was a mention of two Keybearer's defeating a third. Windsor believed it meant Oceana and Gairon would kill him. Unable to stand it, he and Luxcrieve sought to obtain Kingdom Hearts. We feared for our survival and thus, that year, the seven Princesses of Heart were begun to be made. Over a course of many years they were born, bit by bit sealing off Kingdom Hearts from Windsor's grasp. Windsor knew he might be defeated. Thus, Luxcrieve, became an apprentice to Master Xehanort, intended to be the Keyblade Master of that time. Slowly, Luxcrieve poisoned his mind and in the end, the man who was to be a bright beacon turned to evil. Fearing the fall of the Round we told the secrets of Windsor's betrayal to Terra, Ven, and Aqua who then formed the Chasers, an elect group of Keybearers loyal to the light. But Windsor's plan was in effect and soon after, the Round fell."

"You, yourself, were only being trained at this time and so knew nothing of Windsor, however you were there at the tragedy of Sunset Horizons." Flaron said in his deep voice and Mickey and Jim both nodded in understanding. "Windsor's betrayal changed everything. Xehanort, now obsessed with the darkness was absorbed into Kingdom Hearts upon his defeat. When his body reformed differently his mind was gone but for his name and he became the other part that you know so well. Terra turned to darkness that day because of Windsor's betrayal and things that were meant to happen no longer did."

"Whaddya mean?" Mickey asked, unsure where the deities were going with this.

"Things throughout history that were now meant to happen all changed from Windsor's betrayal." Gail said. "Our anger at his murder of Gairon and Oceana made us make a decision: that Windsor could not return to his deity form. When Xehanort killed him as the Round fell, Luxcrieve became the sole upholder of the Realm In-Between. When Aqua later killed him in her struggle for revenge of the death of Ven, we did not return him as well. With the Realm In-Between in utter chaos, we deities of light and darkness moved here and became as crystals to uphold that realm together. But the fall of the Round was the beginning. With the peacemakers gone, Maleficent rose to power and so Radiant Garden fall. For this matter, Hikaru, son of Ansem the Wise was no longer king and became Gentai Tanaka's mentor, and thus, the first person he lost."

"Wait...all that changed?" Jim said, his head spinning from all the facts thrown at him. "This is so confusing."

"Imagine how we were," Flaron said. "When we found out that the history we saw no longer was. Maleficent's growing power prevented Alexander Garibaldi from killing her twelve years ago. He was meant to die, oh yes, but the witch would have been gone. You see, history changed so dramatically for Gentai Tanaka was meant to be the ruler of the Round of the crown after Alexander Garibaldi had died. He was meant to bring peace. His role became much different, as you know, much like Sora, Riku and Kairi."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jim asked, even more befuddled now.

"Sora was never meant to be a hero. He was never meant to leave the islands and nor was Kairi to leave Radiant Garden until they were much older. In the original history Riku was to become the Keyblade Master, but this you know. He was to travel the worlds and seal their Keyholes until ultimately dying while sealing Kingdom Hearts. But he was not meant to be known...yet somehow they were in this history."

"That was our mistake." Gail said. "We believed that even with Sora being the Keyblade Master and defying all of history we could still set things on the right track with Gentai Tanaka. We chose his heart to be filled with light so as to show the world that not all men with pure hearts were like Windsor. But we presumed too much of the heart. Demora Suwara was meant to die even originally in history but Gentai was not to have suffered so much loss originally. He had, and when Demora died he fell farther than we thought. Our folly paved the way for Onyx to complete his insane vision of ruling the worlds as he believes he is entitled to by right."

"Gosh fellas, this is all rather confusin'." Mickey said who, like Jim, was still trying to make heads or tails of the whole situation. Flaron let off a booming laugh.

"Of course it is, but it matters not now. We merely needed you to understand what happened, and why the things today are happening." Flaron told the tiny mouse, looking down on him. "The past matters no longer. All that matters is what tomorrow may bring. We no longer look to the future for we are not qualified to do so, having failed one too many times."

"But perhaps this is a good thing." Gail mused. "For because of this, none of you are bound by history's chains, especially Sora, Riku, and Kairi who have defied so much of it already. Thus we believe that perhaps they are the key, no pun intended of course, to defeating Onyx and bringing peace to the galaxy."

"Yes...yes...but they must be!" Flaron shouted out in agreement. "For you are to be the last generation of Keybearers. Certainly there will be Keyblade wielders but they will be to remain on their worlds for when the time comes. After all, to win is to have peace, to lose is to die and be slaves for all of you."

"Gosh, that's an awful lot to put on us." Mickey said, scratching the back of his head. "And you guys can't even tell us what might happen in the future."

"We may be able to give a clue." Gail informed him. "Long have we examined the prophecy that was misread by Windsor. It's facts, or so we believe, did not match up with Windsor's time. And yet, perhaps if they had we would not be here now. Perhaps, our three of the Realm of Nothingness knew what would happen and what the prophecy meant. Perhaps they knew it was for this time that it applied. Alas, we did not. That prophecy may be the only clue you have to defeating Onyx and restoring peace. We shall recount it for you now." Suddenly all eight of the deities rose up and shined brilliantly. Then they began to speak in a frightening voice, words that had not been heard for many years:

_Ere the Tower Bastion falls_

_Darkness at last once more shall call_

_The Wicked One from its depths_

_And from Its hands, their world knows death_

_But at the hands of one with pure light_

_Their power will be broken in that fight_

_Yet in the Season of the Witch_

_Their power shall be given a switch_

_Three creatures rise all at once_

_As the Witch breaks down into dust_

_And as two Keys defeat the third_

_No more shall sounds of darkness be heard_

With that proclamation ended, the deities returned down to the normal level and their voices as well. They started imploringly at Mickey and Jim, almost a trickle of a tear in all their eyes. There was silence for a few moments before Gail spoke again.

"That is the prophecy...your only guide. But know this King Mickey, prophecies can be misinterpreted and often you will not know what they mean until all has come to pass. However, we believe that if you follow your hearts then perhaps the prophecy will mean nothing and be inconsequential to you. But be forewarned, we know of your alliance but know this: when Onyx is defeated the light of Kingdom hearts will shine forth one way or another, its energy released in a beacon, the villains fallen." Gail slumped back, now seeming like a weak and broken human rather than a bright and dignified angel. "We implore you, make history aright and right our mistakes. 'Twas our folly that led you here, to war, to the Giant that we worked so hard to seal with our crystals, and to pain, but it is you who must make it right."

"We will send you now to Zemus." Flaron said. "Perhaps if you defeat him you can begin the road to freedom. We are sorry for the pain we have caused you and all your friends so the least we can do is send you to Zemus." Mickey and Jim nodded, at last understanding what needed to be done.

"We wish you luck, Your Majesty, Captain Hawkins, and may you always place faith in your hearts." With that, a bright light shone forth and Mickey and Jim disappeared from the plane only to arrive once more in the Crystal Palace amidst Cecil and everyone else. They were surprised to see them back but to them, Mickey and Jim had nothing to say. Then they heard Gail's voice echo in the room. "We will guide you to the core." Bright light filled the room again and all seven of them felt themselves squeeze through the teleportation to land on a crystal floor. They looked ahead. Before them was floating a man with black skin surrounded in a blood-red and night-black cloak with a high collar. Facing him, were Golbez and Fusoya. Before the party could utter a word, Fusoya and Golbez both sent a barrage of the highest-tier spells at Zemus. The spells seemed to have no effect but Fusoya had other plans.

"It is nearly done, give your power to Meteor!" Fusoya yelled and Golbez nodded. Together they began to summon energy within them.

"Yes, use all your strength!" Zemus cried in a terrible and discordant voice. Suddenly a black hole opened above Zemus' figure and great streaking and flaming meteor flew out of it. It struck Zemus who cried out in pain a moment. But then he spoke a series of terrible words. "Even when this mortal shell is gone...my spirit...will live on..." And with that Zemus fell, face first, onto the crystalline floor.

"We did it." Golbez pronounced in relief rather than triumph.

"What a waste..." Fusoya said, shaking his head. "Such incredible power, and all of it warped to evil ends." Suddenly there was an outcry from Edge as the party ran over and Mickey breathed in relief that perhaps the battle was already over. Fusoya faced them and smiled. "Oh...you've come."

"Looks like we were too late! You were supposed to save him for me!" Edge announced in mock hurt. Jim walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Tone it down, Edge." Jim said and everybody laughed. But the time of laughing soon passed as a thick red mist filtered into the room and surrounded Zemus' body. Suddenly, Zemus began to arise, his eyes glowing an eerie red. The red mist converged and became a turret that covered all of Zemus' body. From within the turret, Zemus' voice spoke out.

"I am the wellspring of darkness, fed by Zemus' unbridled hate. I am He who is called Zeromus, I am He who knows naught but hate!!!" cried the voice and gale-force winds suddenly whipped through the area, knocking over many of the group. But Fusoya and Golbez both managed to hold their ground.

"No! Death only fueled the evil within him!" Fusoya cried and Golbez began walking forward.

"Zemus...no, Zeromus, this time I will finish what I set out to do!" Golbez cried and with a great wave of his arm, the red mist parted to reveal a floating blue creature with a hideously ugly face. Golbez once more thrust his hands forward and another meteor spilled onto Zeromus. He did not seem fazed by it, even as Fusoya did the same.

"Meteor isn't working...Golbez, use the crystal I gave you on our way here!" Fusoya cried. Golbez nodded and took out the crystal from the fold of his cloak. He raised it before him but nothing happened. Zeromus gave a laugh.

"You tread the path of darkness. The crystal will shed no light for you!" Zeromus cried and suddenly a black hole opened above the both of them and Zeromus' own meteor came crashing down upon the two, forcing them to crumple beneath it. "Know suffering. Know death. My hate will not be staunched until it has consumed all else. Come, pass into this darkness I have wrought." Mickey gasped as he heard those words for he remembered them from when he had grabbed that crystal so few days ago. Mickey saw Cecil crawling towards Golbez, towards his brother.

"Brother..." Cecil breathed and Golbez held out the crystal, saying that he must be the one to wield it. Cecil took the crystal bequeathed to him and he stood up. "Zeromus-this is the end for you, not us!" Suddenly a great rush of whispers filled the room and they seemed to be friendly voices, invigorating them, restoring all of their strength. At last, all but Fusoya and Golbez stood and Cecil, smirking as he did it, held the crystal before him. Zeromus cried in pain and there was a bright light. When the light waned before them was something that looked like a great insect with a brown husk on its back. There were spindly brown things for arms and the ugly face that was previously on its figure was now transposed in brown on this one. Mickey looked at Cecil and an unspoken agreement was reached: they would all fight together. Rosa was the first to move. With a wave of her hands everyone felt invisible armor wrap its way around them, protecting them from the blows they might receive.

Jim began firing off immediately at the face of Zeromus while Edge stood by his side and kept throwing a number of shuriken at the same exact area. Zeromus howled in pain as they hit. This was only doubled by the fact that Kain used his spear as a jumping point and leapt into the air, his spear cutting right across Zeromus' face. Rydia sent some chunks of ice at Zeromus but a great wall suddenly erected itself, not only reflecting Rydia's attack back at her (whilst cutting her shoulder) but also impeding both Mickey and Cecil's attack. They flew backward and hit the floor before they felt the sweet relief of Rosa's cure spell cast over it. Everyone stopped their attacks for fear of what would happen if they continued. Suddenly, Zeromus began to shake and then a great number of black holes appeared in the room, threatening to engulf all who were within it. Rydia yelled aloud the incantation to a Stop spell and the black holes started opening slower but were unable to stop. Everybody fighting felt their energy being drained and they knew they had to strike at Zeromus together. Rosa extended her hand and the wall before Zeromus suddenly broke.

"Together, everyone!" Mickey yelled and Rydia let off some black magic, Jim fired his gun, Edge his shuriken. Kain jumped at the head of Zeromus and Cecil and Mickey went straight for his body. Within seconds they had sliced clean throught the body of Zeromus. Zeromus howled in pain as he began to disappear in a burst of light.

"I will never die...as long as there is darkness in the hearts of men!!!" Zeromus cried out before suddenly disappearing completely. Fusoya at last got up, as well as Golbez.

"You've truly done it." Fusoya exclaimed happily. "I'd no idea there was such strength in you. You of the Blue Planet may have already grown more powerful than we of the moon."

"It does rather look that way, doesn't it?!" Edge said proudly and everyone laughed at this proclamation...everyone save for Kain.

"But what of the final words Zeromus spoke...? As long as there is darkness..." kain said solemnly and suddenly Mickey spoke up.

"Aw, fellas, there's always light and darkness, it's what makes us whole." Mickey said cheerfully. "And while there's not really darkness anymore, people still think dark thoughts. But usually people use their light to overcome that darkness. Ya see, we all have light and dark, it all depends on what we do with it."

"His Majesty is right..." Fusoya said with a worn yet still happy smile. "There is light and dark thoughts in everyone just as with the twin sets of crystals on this world and the darkened Underworld that rests beneath your planets brighter surface. But like His Majesty said, where there is darkness there is also light, just as your light rose up to overcome the shadow cast by Zemus."

"Well now that you mention it, I did feel a bit aglow!" Edge said and Rydia glared at him, almost as though repulsed.

"Are you joking? It's a miracle Zemus didn't end up using you!" Rydia screeched at him and everyone laughed harder, no one more so than Edge.

"My love of justice kept him at bay no doubt." Edge stated with no ounce of humility present at all.

"Well then, the time has come for me to join my people in their sleep. What will you do?" Fusoya asked of both Mickey and Cecil.

"We will return to our planet." Cecil said. "We are going to rebuild our kingdoms and gather troops for the war His Majesty keeps talking about."

"I see...well, I certainly hope you win. I would join you but I have been waiting a long time for this sleep." Fusoya stated and Mickey nodded in complete understanding. Suddenly everyone saw Golbez walking over, made clear by the booming sound of his armored boots on the floor.

"Might you permit me to accompany you? I cannot return, even to aid His Majesty in this war, not after all I've done. And I would very much like to meet my father's people at least once." Golbez said, his head bowed towards Fusoya.

"I see. Yes, our blood flows in your veins but...you know this will be a very long slumber?" Fusoya said, making sure that this was truly what Golbez wished.

"I do." Golbez stated simply before turning at last to Cecil. "Cecil...you called me 'Brother'...I suppose I can expect no more than that, all you have suffered until now has been because of me." Fusoya then indicated that it was time for them to go and both Golbez and Fusoya began to walk off o the other teleportation pad. Everyone looked to Cecil to see what he would do. Cecil then walked forward.

"Farewell...my brother." Cecil said and Golbez turned to them, his armor melting away to reveal the brown-haired boy who was once known as Theodore. He smiled at Cecil and then he left. The seven companions remaining looked at each other and then set off for the teleportation square again, appearing back in the crystal room. They all set off to leave where they would have time to discuss the alliance; but before Mickey left he looked back on the room with twinkling crystals and he heard Gail's voice one last time before his departure.

_You will be the ones to set history aright._

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Author's Note: And there it is, one of the most important chapters in this story and possibly the whole trilogy. I know it's a lot to take it so if you don't understand it just let me know and I'll explain it. I hope the battles were good, albeit short, but that's not what I was focusing on. So now we're done with all four worlds and I'm done with adapting!!! Yay!!! Anyhoo...in terms of timing (which may be explained next chapter) Kairi finished second but was closer to Radiant garden. Riku finished slightly earlier than Kairi but was farther away and had more to do. Sora finished the day after both of them and Mickey finished later than Sora. You'll see this more next chapter but things will hopefully start REALLY heating up soon. So please review on this in good detail about what you think is interesting and even what the prophecy might mean. In the meantime, Dare to Be Silly.

P.S. With this chapter we are so close to transcending my length of Twisted Souls Part I which has been the longest thus far and were only a little over halfway.


	15. Chapter 14: The Fortified Army

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters from any Disney movies or Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy within this chapter. Nor do I own any of the three songs I use in this chapter which are the only songs I will ever use in the entire trilogy.**

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Chapter 14

The Fortified Army

Kairi rubbed her eyes in vague exhaustion from the previous night. She had returned to the prom with Kim and Ron where the two had danced and shared a kiss, their first kiss clearly and Kairi had instructed Mulan to contact Global Justice to meet them in the morning. After that, Kairi went back to Kim's house with her and her new boyfriend. Ron parted ways and the two decided to get some sleep. It was around three in the morning however that Ron had called asking if Kim was a synthodrone and whether they were really dating or not. Kim assured him that hey were but it still didn't make up for the fact that Kairi could no longer get back to sleep. After all, during the moments of sleep, Kairi could empty her head of any thoughts pervading that space and fill them with blissful dreams (for the most parts) but in the waking hours of twilight between night and dawn Kairi's mind was inexorably drawn towards the war and what it might just mean for her and her husband. Still, regardless of these thoughts Kairi brought Kim and Ron with her, as well as Kim's tech support Wade and the rest of her family to meet with the Global Justice operatives. They released villains such as Drakken, Shego, Monkey Fist and others that would aid them but loaded them into a very secure prison on the Gummi Ship. With that, they took off for Radiant Garden.

There were some rather tense moments between Kairi and Ron as Ron pestered her about space and Kairi refused to answer, soon threatening to use Mushu as a lighter, which Mushu heavily objected. Only after Kim quieted him down was Kairi at last able to make up for her lack of sleep. She wondered how everyone else was doing but she had a certain sense of dread within the pit of her stomach. Very early that morning (and perhaps one of the things that prevented her from sleeping) she felt a strong sense of pain rip through her heart as if someone somewhere was dying. And it was a certain _particular_ someone. So Kairi felt the thrill of death and feared for her husband. For ten minutes Kairi's heart pounded with dread until at last it quited down and Kairi knew that at least Sora was alive. It was in the early hours of the afternoon that Kairi at last touched down on the landing pad in Radiant Garden, Leon quickly striding up to the Gummi Ship.

"Welcome back Your Majesty." Leon said curtly and bowing to her in reverence. Kairi sent him a complete and total death glare which Leon did not shy away from and which he also knew the reason for.

"I've been queen for twelve years here and every day almost I have asked you to call me just Kairi. Leon, you're more than a member of the council you're our friend." Kairi said with a slight huff. Leon nodded his head solemnly and was about to say something when suddenly there was an outcry from behind Kairi's figure.

"You live here?!!" Ron's voice shouted out in absolute amazement of the castle at Radiant Garden. For the first time in a while, Kairi actually looked at the castle to try and recognize its beauty. It was a truly marvelous structure and as faithful to the original castle as it could possibly be without the massive Heartless symbol on the front of the castle. It's spires made of gleaming white marble and shaved brick gave it a great sense of monstrosity and of course there was the tower at the top that Sora insisted to be rebuilt so that he could always remember the events that had happened there. The events that led to the creation of Roxas and Naminé. That one thought triggered a stirring from Naminé inside Kairi but she partially ignored it to turn to Ron. before she managed to get a word out, Kim had spoken first.

"Ron, there's no need to gawk." Kim said, rolling her eyes at her boyfriend's amazement. "Although, it is pretty nice." Kairi giggled a bit and faced Leon who was arching an eyebrow towards her as if asking about them.

"They're recruits for the army. You'll find our supply of villains inside the prison onboard. Give them a room and extra security. Kim and Ron can have two conjoining guest rooms." Leon nodded again and waved his hand at all of them. A group of ten soldiers wearing the armor of the Knights of Radiant Garden strode forward. Kairi gave a split-second glance at the crest emblazoned on each of their chests: the crown with two swords crossed over them. Leon quickly gave orders to his men while Kairi stood by silently and then as the men moved off, Kairi joined up with Leon and began their stride into the castle. "Anything new?"

"Yes, actually. Riku contacted the war room yesterday evening saying he was leaving this afternoon, so that should be sometime soon and that he has some news to give us. However, he wouldn't say what it was. His Majesty King Mickey also contacted the Interstellar Academy before leaving. So, for the most part, over the past few days we've had a steady stream of arrivals flowing in. Sora also contacted me just a few hours ago. he's setting off tonight when he's finished gathering recruits and he'll be back here by tomorrow morning...late morning." Leon said, explaining the full situation to the Princess of Heart.

"What about His Majesty?" Kairi said with a faint concern as if worried about what might have befallen the mouse king.

"No word yet but I wouldn't worry. I contacted your old friend Admiral Amelia at the Interstellar Academy and it turns out he left to a world with one of their best operatives; someone called Captain James Hawkins." Leon said with a shrug, indicating the name meant almost nothing to him.

"Jim? Oh, then His Majesty should be fine. How are Gentai and Demora?" Kairi said earnestly, craving for information about her children. Leon just laughed and that was all Kairi needed to know: the two of them were giving Hayner and Olette a run for their money. The two of them were now fairly deep inside the castle and were approaching what was Sora's normal council chambers, and the place they had all decided to convene the heroes an villains when they arrived. But now Leon had stopped and faced Kairi with a rather stern look on his face.

"There are two more important matters. One is this: Tron reported a disturbance on Agradar about two days ago. You know as well as I that place has been abandoned for years since...well, since the tragedy. It worries me a bit." Leon said with deliberation. Kairi nodded at this piece of information. For the most part, she felt it was an irrelevance but it was clearly worthy of mention. She kept looking at Leon however, urging him to divulge the second piece of information. "Also...Maleficent's back and she brought her villains with her. They're all under lock and key but she herself is not. She wants to speak to you...in the Castle Chapel."

"Why Sora had _that_ particular place rebuilt is beyond me..." Kairi sighed out before she thanked Leon and left to go and speak with the sorceress. It took very little time to traverse her way up there as she was so used to the castle at this point, many of the routes were ingrained in her head. Before long she was striding into the castle chapel, looking at Maleficent who had her back to Kairi. "Leon said you wanted to see me, Maleficent." Kairi spat out her name and it was perhaps this, most of all, that prompted Maleficent to turn around.

"Kairi, how lovely to see you. I'm glad to see you've returned safely." Maleficent said. Kairi glared at the witch who did not recoil from her gaze. "I see you've yet to trust me."

"Give me a good reason to trust you. Because of you, our home got destroyed and Agradar was incinerated. Forgive me, Maleficent, but I don't think I'll ever trust you." Kairi said with absolute venom and Maleficent chuckled a bit.

"Of course...I understand your feelings but you must understand, I mean you no harm." Maleficent stated simply and Kairi continued to glare at her, now folding her arms. "In fact, I came to make a proposition: two heroes and two villains on this council we shall be having. After all, it would be my belief that your heroes would far outnumber my villains in the first place and I don't believe it's fair to have so many heroes against so little of my people."

"Don't you think there might be a good reason for that?" Kairi snapped and Maleficent inclined her head a bit.

"Yes, there is I'm most sure but I am merely speaking of the council. For the war itself you may of course have as many little heroes as you want." Maleficent said with a gleam of malice in her eyes.

"Oh really?" Kairi said, arching an eyebrow towards Maleficent now. "And why is that? So our friends and forces can be crushed in the battle and so even if we win you can just turn on us?" Maleficent merely stared at Kairi given her proclamation.

"I myself have no intention of betraying you. If you do not believe me then I'll tell you something that may prove my assertions." Maleficent said and Kairi now gave her a look inquiring as to what Maleficent might tell her that would sway her mind in any matter. "For twelve years you have been unable to find me and that is for one reason: I have taken up residence in the hollow planet of Agradar, a place I believe that none of you go to." Kairi was shocked by this sudden piece of information being divulged to her.

"Leon said there was a disturbance in Agradar two days ago...so that was you!" Kairi said and now Maleficent looked confused for a moment but shook her head before explaining that she (and in fact, many of her supporters) were not there at the point two days ago and so it could not have been them. Kairi mused on this for a moment, her head and her eyes staring at the ground. Then she snapped a look to Maleficent. "Fine, we'll accept your terms...but I warn you...if you show any sort of betrayal, we will kick your ass." Maleficent just smile and turned away as Kairi strode out of the chapel with a purpose. The rest of that day until dinner passed by in a haze as Kairi acquainted herself with the arrivals of the army. It was becoming fairly sizable too. Kairi was a bit worried about the multitude of villains arriving, not the least was the fact that they and the heroes couldn't get along at all. But still, knowing that if they made a move they would find plenty of swords at their throats made them very conscious not to do a thing. As the hours passed into evening, dinner at last came and Kairi was finally able to enjoy the castle's meals again, something she had been unable to do for almost a week now. Ron was beside himself and instantly began wolfing down almost any piece of food he could find. That made every participant at the table laugh except for Cid with whom he soon had a chicken-leg eating contest. When Kairi was finished with her dinner however she went out to the balcony outside the dining room where Leon also was.

"Kairi." Leon said with a short, curt nod and Kairi smiled at him, leaning on the railing that separated them from the castle and a horrible death. Kairi looked a him a moment, her lips slightly pursed.

"You know, do you do this every night? Cause that would mean that you're starting to become like Sora." Kairi said and Leon gave a deep chuckle. Kairi laughed with him but her face soon became somber as she looked to the low sinking sun beyond the horizon. "Do you think we have hope?" Leon looked at her, vaguely surprised at where this question had come from. However, she was staring at him, into his eyes, imploring him to give her an answer. Leon placed a finger on his chin and thought for a moment.

"I think we do...if we make it ourselves." Leon answered and that was all that needed to be said. There was hope for defeating Onyx...but if they had hope, that fragile emotion that broke down so easily but was still retrievable, they needed to create it within themselves.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning was a pretty big bustle and fanfare as time began to arch towards noon for both Sora and Riku's ships were seen entering the horizon around the same time and while Kairi would have liked to see her best friend, her husband came before anything else. And it was him that she met at the landing dock. She hugged him fiercely the moment he stepped off the ship but as she did so, he winced a bit. She looked at him with worry.

"What's wrong?" Kairi asked but Sora had no need to answer. His shirt was stained with blood near where his heart was and that part of the shirt was almost completely ripped through. She touched the wound and Sora winced again. "What in the worlds did you do to yourself?!" Kairi demanded, hitting her husband over the head.

"Geez Kairi, I was only protecting a friend and the guy stabbed me. I'm gonna go drink one of our supply of elixirs and I'll be up and about in no time. Then I want to call a meeting of the whole council we've been creating." And those words from Sora seemed to settle the subject. Leon, who had been present behind Kairi, quickly brought Sora up to speed on everything and then ordered some of his men to inform the members of the army of the council meeting to take place early that afternoon. As the troupe of friends (including Donald and Goofy) at last emerged into the castle they came face to face with Riku.

"What am I, invisible?" Riku said with a smirk, acting peeved at the fact that none of them greeted him at the docks. Riku's smirk dropped off when he saw Sora's wound and though he wanted to admonish him for being a foolish idiot, he had bigger things on his mind. Sora was the first to pick up, looking around.

"Where are Sikaru and Juthius?" Sora asked in confusion and Riku rubbed the back of his neck.

"Turns out that they were traitors after all...I just can't believe I fell for it." Riku said with a disgruntled look on his face. "And it's thanks to them that we lost a villain on Nomanisan."

"Ah well...one less villain isn't the end of the world." Sora laughed out and all of them joined in. Sora and Kairi then quickly went to their room where Kairi forced the Elixir down Sora's throat since at this point the wound had started bleeding again and he didn't want to even move. Kairi then used her own Keyblade to seal the wound with her own magic. Sora was now feeling completely better although he had to keep in mind he couldn't apply too much pressure to the wound or it would be absolutely agonizing again. Still, he had other things to attend to and so, after the message was sent around and Sora received a message from the king that he'd be coming back tomorrow after a coronation ceremony, the council of heroes and villains was assembled in the council room and actually silent. Next to Sora was Riku on his right and Maleficent on his left.

"All right, so...er...we all know why we're here, to fight Onyx together." Sora said. He wasn't one for making speeches but he knew that this was one that he was just going to have to make. "I know it seems a little strange and, believe me, it is. But, our two sides of heroes and villains have to work together for the greater good in a sense and er...well, you know, we're all people who, if we lose then Onyx'll kill us all which we can't have!" Many of the heroes nodded but then Royal Pain spoke out.

"So why should we listen to you Sora? You've caused us villains nothing but pain!" Royal Pain shouted to the encouragement of the villains.

"Hey, you guys deserved what you got!" Kairi yelled out. "If none of you tried to mess up our worlds then we probably wouldn't be in the position we are now. So, don't say we only caused you pain because you started it."

"Kairi...not helping..." Sora muttered out of the corner of his mouth and Kairi's cheeks turned to a faint pink tinge. And Sora's words couldn't have been closer to the truth. In that instant, all hell broke loose and arguments began.

"The lass has a point mates." Jack Sparrow said with gusto before he pointed at Barbossa. "You stole my ship."

"It was my ship to begin with!" Barbossa countered and the two began to try and exchange fisticuffs with each other. Royal Pain had turned to Will Stronghold and began using their modified technopath energy to try and shock him but Layla, now his wife, used her plants to try and muffle the electricity. In fact, every hero and villain in the room was now at daggers with each other save for Sora, Donald, Goofy, Riku, Kairi, Pete and Maleficent. Fists were being bandied about like candy at a parade and some were just tossing words towards one another (as in the case of Ron and Drakken).

"This is politics I guess..." Riku said with a sigh, remembering the time thirteen years ago when he, Kairi, her brother Hikaru and Gentai had gone to Port Royal and had met with the Brethren Court. But Sora was starting to lose his patience with the situation. He quickly summoned his Keyblade and let off a ball of fire out the open window in the council room. The sound itself was enough to bring the room into order.

"Come on people, I know we don't want to work together but we have to! We really do..." Sora said earnestly. "Look, I don't like working with Maleficent anymore than you guys like working with your villains but think about what will happen if Onyx wins this war, if we can't work together." Sora now had the full attention of every single person in the room who was focused on him in rapt silence. "Look at it this way, if we can't come together and we lose then us heroes, we'll be wiped from the face of all the worlds and history itself. And for the villains, I know Onyx has caused you guys problems from the beginning and do you really think he'll let all of you live? Not to mention...you'll never even get the chance to destroy your heroes. So why don't we all just work together?"

For a moment it all seemed to work, it seemed as if the heroes and the villains would actually become one and a fortified army. But after about thirty seconds of rapt silence, they resumed their battling. Maleficent herself sighed and hung her head in shame.

"Perhaps this was not the best idea after all..." Maleficent said and she began to turn away, as if to leave the room. "Sora, we should adjourn until tomorrow and then, perhaps, we will have found a way in which to make this army work." She then raised her staff into the air and a brilliant green light shone from it, signaling the meeting was over. That was all that was needed and the heroes and villains parted, still in a battling mood, leaving Sora, Riku and Kairi absolutely bewildered in the council chamber.

"How exactly are we going to get these people to fight with us?" Sora said, sitting down and rubbing his temple in exhaustion. "They need to work together or we don't stand a chance."

"What we need is something that would allow the heroes and the villains to see each other as just people." Kairi stated simply and Riku looked at her with wonderment.

"And what exactly would grant us the ability to do just that?" Riku said with slight laughter etched onto his face. Kairi wrinkled her face in thought for a moment.

"I don't know like a...like a..." Kairi's faced brightened as she tapered off with her words and soon her face was smiling. Riku looked at Sora with worry for a moment. "Like a party." Sora's face fell and all of his feelings rose in a tumult.

"Oh no...not a party." Sora said. Riku gave Sora a look that clearly asked what was so bad about having a party, especially if it worked. "Look, Riku, you weren't here for Gentai and Demora's tenth birthday party because it was right after your war started. Let's say, Kairi and parties equals driving me to my wits end." But Kairi wasn't listening anymore and began to rant off all of her ideas. Before they could stop her, the party for that evening was already planned and the message was sent around the castle. Thus, Sora was forced to change out of his mission clothes (which needed to be washed of the blood anyway) and into the finer clothes that he wore for such occasions. Riku himself refused to change and Leon didn't even want to participate in the party. But it didn't matter, because they knew that if this succeeded then Kairi would be the greatest person in all of history: Queen Kairi the Ingenious. At seven o'clock that evening Kairi was standing before the multitude of heroes and villains.

"So...judging by our council meeting earlier today we clearly have some issues in our army. So I thought we could all just take this time to relax and get to know each other as people. There's food over there and there'll be music playing throughout." Kairi announced to them and, much to their surprise, they began to see the plan come to fruition in front of their eyes. Heroes and villains began interacting in a way that they had never seen before and as Kairi had predicted, they began seeing each other as just people. Before long, someone announced it was time to have some of the people in the crowd come and sing (against Sora's better judgment) and so Drakken came up.

"I'm Dr. D y'all so check it." Drakken said and Sora could already feel his ears cringing. "Shego, give me a beat." Shego was standing off to the side of the stage staring at him with arched eyebrows and disinterest. "Give me a beat Shego. SHEGO!! Nnnn...fine, if you want a beat done right." And suddenly he gave out a beat.

_Yo yo yo_

_I used to be Drew_

_One day I turned blue_

_As a suede shoe or berry_

_It makes me look scary_

_Then I ponytailed my hair eee_

_Got me a nasty scar_

_And a funky fresh flying car_

_Now Drew be Dr. Drakken_

_So quit that yakkin'_

_Think I'm out?_

_Ha! I'm backin'!_

_Just lather rinse and obey!_

_It's time to wash your hair today_

_You may think I'm a villain_

_Yo, I'm just chillin'_

_Come on let me hear ya say_

_Lather rinse and obey_

_I'm a player just playin his play_

_My products in a rap song,_

_Time to get your wash on_

_With Dr. D's brainwashing shampoo and cranium rinse_

_My lippy sidekick Shego_

_She kicks me in my ego_

_Got some freaky glowing hands_

_Mocks my super genius plans_

_Makes me do my defeat dance!_

_Come on...oh...eee...ga!_

_Had dreams to rule the world_

_Or build a better robot girl_

_All end in rejection_

_So after introspection_

_I turned my career in another direction_

_Thanks to one all that teen_

_Mr. Mean is squeaky clean_

_Though my face is still blue_

_Tell you what I can do_

_Sell y'all some freaky shampoo_

_Lather rinse and obey_

_I'm a player just playin his play_

_My products in a rap song,_

_Time to get your wash on_

_With Dr. D's brainwashing shampoo and cranium rinse_

_Fo sheezy it's off the heezy_

It was needless to say that Drakken was run off the stage by heroes and villains alike, which served as some sense of encouragement to all of those involved in making this alliance happen. Thankfully a much better rapper came up next: Ron Stoppable. He quickly called Sora over and whispered something in his ear. Sora nodded and went over to one of the microphones. Rufus handed a microphone to Ron and then pulled out a boombox and dropped a microphone to his level. Rufus cleared his throat.

"Come on and listen to the mole rap." Sora then said in a deep voice so unlike his own, which caused Kairi to start giggling uncontrollably.

_Na na na na na na na na na na_

_Na na na na na na na na na na_

_Na na na na na na na na na na_

_Na na na na naaaaaaa_

_Hit it!_

_Yo listen up have a holla' from Ron_

_Naked Mole Rap is the name of the song_

_Here's the story in all it's glory_

_Ain't hidin nothing_

_You all know what the truth is: how Ron met Rufus_

_Never heard a cat bark, _

_Never heard a puppy purr_

_My dad's allergic to every kind of fur_

_So I searched for hairless pets on the internet_

_Saw a JPEG of a pink thing_

_Gonna need sunscreen_

_What is that?_

_That freaky thing?_

_Yes, that's right it's a naked mole rat._

_Come on y'all, let the girlies sing_

_Listen to the Naked Mole Rap_

_What is that?_

_That freaky thing?_

_Yes, that's right it's a naked mole rat._

_Hey wait, I can't hear the girls sing_

_Listen to the Naked Mole Rap_

_Na na na na na na na na na na_

_Na na na na naaaaaaaaa_

_I heard Smarty Mart was having a sale_

_On a hairless pink rodent with a long skinny tail_

_It seemed to me this could be a solution_

_The perfect pet for my dad's sensitive constitution_

_So the manager came to open the cage_

_He said "You know this pet's hairless"_

_I said I couldn't care less_

_Handed him to me said: "Be careful don't drop it!_

_And do you want this cage?"_

_No I'll keep him in my pocket!_

_What is that?_

_That freaky thing?_

_Yes, that's right it's a naked mole rat._

_Come on y'all, let the girls sing_

_Listen to the Naked Mole Rap_

_What is that?_

_That freaky thing?_

_Yes, that's right it's a naked mole rat._

_Gonna buy me some bling-bling_

_Listen to the Naked Mole Rap_

There was a musical break and every one seemed to be enjoying the song, heroes and villains alike, in fact there was a conglomeration of hero and villain females proving background for Ron (despite the fact that the villains were pretty bad). Soon there was a guitar playing and Ron started air-jamming to it.

_What're we missin' here?_

_Rufus the Naked Mole Rat!_

_Na na na na na na na na na na_

_Na na na na na na na na na na_

_Na na na na na na na na na na_

_Na na na na naaaaaaa_

_Na na na na na na na na na na_

_Na na na na na na na na na na_

_Na na na na na na na na na na_

_Na na na na naaaaaaa_

_Can I get a Bo-yah?_

_BOO-YAH!_

_Oh can I get a Boo-Yah?_

_BOO-YAH!_

_I look at the camera say cheese!_

_Smile for the camera say cheese!_

_Can I get a Bo-yah?_

_BOO-YAH!_

_Oh can I get a Boo-Yah?_

_BOO-YAH!_

_I look at the camera say cheese!_

_Smile for the camera say cheese!_

_We go to Bueno Nacho_

_Chimerito and a Naco_

_Always Grande Size and why not, I'm buying_

_Rufus in my pocket, you can't stop it_

_Can't top it, don't drop it_

_You might just pop it_

_Rufus and Ron Stoppable_

_With my girlfriend Kim Possible_

_We're not afraid of any attack_

_I say "Yo, KP, we got your baclk!"_

_Hi-yah!_

_What is that?_

_That freaky thing?_

_Yes, that's right it's a naked mole rat._

_Come on y'all, let the girlies sing_

_Listen to the Naked Mole Rap_

_What is that?_

_Super freaky thing?_

_Yes, that's right it's a naked mole rat._

_Come y'all, let those girlies sing_

_Listen to the Naked Mole Rap_

_Yeahhhhh!_

_This ain't no, no freak-o!_

_Yeah, that's right it's the Naked Mole Rap!_

_This ain't no, no disco!_

_Come on y'all it's the Naked Mole Rap!_

_This ain't no, no Shego!_

_Yeah, that's right it's the Naked Mole Rap!_

_This ain't no, no Rondo!_

_Come on y'all it's the Naked Mole rap!_

_Listen to the Naked Mole Rap!_

The applause that followed was tumultuous and Ron was carried over the crowd. Sora wound his way back to Kairi and hugged her tightly, kissing her with passion as well because her plan had ultimately worked so well. Kairi kissed back as well and Riku, who was watching from the side, rolled his eyes. Then the music slowed and a new song began to play. Sora looked to Kairi as it began and Kairi nodded. Sora took her hand in his and as the words began they began their own waltz.

_You're in my arms_

_And all the world is calm_

_The music playing on for only two_

_So close together_

_And when I'm with you_

_So close to feeling alive_

_A life goes by_

_Romantic dreams must die_

_So I bid mine goodbye and never knew_

_So close was waiting, waiting here with you_

_And now, forever I know_

_All that I want is to hold you_

_So close_

_So close to reaching that famous happy ending_

_Almost believing this one's not pretend_

_And now you're beside me and look how far we've come_

_So far, we are, so close_

The singing stopped and an instrumental break began. Sora leaned in and kissed his wife with an intense amount of passion, pouring in all of his thoughts and his feelings into that simple action which Kairi returned. For a moment it seemed as if time itself had stopped for the pair as everyone else danced around them: Mulan and Shang, Ling and Chien-Po with the two princesses they had married brought with them (Yao was still fighting in the Land of Dragons), Hayner and Olette, Aladdin and Jasmine, Adam and Belle. Everyone was lost within each other and Riku watched the scene with sadness, knowing that he would never know love again. As the words began to start up again, Riku left the Great hall that they were in and proceeded out onto a balcony and Sora and Kairi boke their kiss and began to dance.

_Oh, how could I face the faceless days_

_If I should lose you now?_

_We're so close_

_To reaching that famous happy ending_

_Almost believing, this one's not pretend_

_Let's go on dreaming, though we know we are_

_So close_

_So close_

_And still so far_

With that the song had ended. Sora and Kairi broke apart and she went to go and get some water from the food table. Sora glaned around and saw that Riku was gone. had he left the party? But as he glanced around, making his way through the now friendly-chatting heroes and villains he saw the silhouette of Riku outside on the balcony. He made his way over there and saw Riku staring at the starry and yet red-tinged night sky.

"Why aren't you at the party?" Sora asked with a humorous tone, knowing full well that Riku didn't dance. Riku chuckled.

"Because it would hurt seeing everyone dance and not having anybody to dance with." Riku said simply with his back still to Sora. Sora strode up next to him and clapped him on the back.

"Well, when the war's over, we'll get you a girl." Sora said with his trademark grin. Riku merely chuckled a bit. Then Sora noticed the worried look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know..." Riku sighed out as they stared into the night sky. "I just feel off...like something's wrong...but it's probably nothing." Sora nodded and for a minute or two they just stared at the night sky. Then a burgeoning light appeared from behind them and the two whipped around to see the shape of a keyhole form itself on the balcony, filling the sky with light. Out of it crawled Melissa Ardintous, clutching her stomach in what seemed to be pain. That had to have been the truth as blood was seeping from her onto the balcony. Both of them ran to her and Sora called for Aerith to get over there as he summoned his Keyblade. he cast a cure spell but it was only enough to cause her to stir. Melissa looked into Riku's eyes and then said the most disturbing phrase in the entire galaxy.

"The Order has fallen."

**

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**

Author's Note: Yes, I leave you with that cliffhanger. Next chapter is a break from my norm as I show you what happened. On other points of this chapter...yes, there were songs that I wanted to use. _**So Close**_** worked exceptionally well with everything else in here and I had previously been considering using **_**Enchanted**_** for one of my worlds but it was scrapped. Also, yes, I noticed I have a big use of balconies in here for a reason...Still, tell me what you think of this alliance and Maleficent's revelation regarding Agradar and what exactly you think might have happened at Crown Fortress during this awesome party. Please review and Dare to Be Silly.**


	16. Chapter 15: Fall of Ten Generals

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts but I ironically own almost everything in this chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 15

Fall of Ten Generals

In the early hours of the evening at Crown Fortress, Franz Piretti was busy perusing some of the security videos that streamed footage in from all over the fortress. This was an old pastime of his when he was done with his duties in space bay and granting the considerable lack of activity here, as Gummi Ships were usually used as a measure of defense against Crown Fortress or to lead an attack, there was no need to clean up space bay and so Franz had lately been finding himself rather bored. He ran his fingers through his black hair and pushed the glasses that he was wearing up the bridge of his nose. For the most part, everything had seemed so silent lately for which Franz was grateful so there wasn't really a need to look at the footage. But then something caught his eye. It was fleeting and only appeared for a moment on the screen; gone so suddenly that one would wonder if it had indeed been there at all.

But there was no mistaking it in the slightest: the color of the object that had flashed past the screen was blue. And an Unbirth was generally blue. Like a shot, Franz was on his feet and his own Keyblade appeared in his hand. It was truly a majestic Keyblade in a sense. Surrounding the handle where Franz clearly held it was the outline of a five pointed star. As the curving shaft continued up decorated with little sparkles to represent stars it eventually reached the blade which was itself a star. Franz's Keyblade was called Starry Sky. With a sense of purpose, Franz darted out of Space Bay and into the hallway and found nothing there. Everything was eerily quiet. There were no Unbirths, and no Order members congregating the usually busy hallway. Franz made his way down the hallway, his Keyblade held aloft as he walked along. His footsteps echoed down the empty hallway and seemed to reflect back on him, making Franz all the more worried.

He knew he had not made that sight up, had not envisaged it and seen an illusory figure. There were Unbirths in the fortress. Perhaps he would not have been as worried if there were still people within the hallway but the whole fortress almost sounded deserted. At this point, Franz was passing by the doors of classrooms where they educated the new Keyblade wielders in the art of brandishing the powerful and mythical weapon. Franz's eyes darted all over the hallway...he should have run into something by now Unbirth or not. He was almost ready to give up when he heard a slight scratching noise behind one of the doors and a large bang on it. Franz turned to face it and was immediately ready to unlock the door when suddenly the door blasted out in front of him. Franz didn't think for a second and immediately moved out of the way as the door slammed into the opposing wall, the body of a man crumpling on top of it. Franz knew there was no need to look twice: the man was dead, its assailant was in the classroom. Franz immediately moved forward and the Unbirth flew at him. He made a quick uppercut and the Unbirth vanished before his eyes. But the battle was just beginning.

As if Franz's destruction of the Unbirth was a signal to attack, many more of the creatures suddenly popped up all around him. And then Franz began wishing that he had kept the silence. He would have traded anything for that silence rather than the harsh sounds he now heard: the sounds of people screaming as they gave their dying breath. The Order was falling in front of his eyes. However, there was no more time to think at all about what was going on in the floors below him because he was faced with his own predicament. The Unbirths formed a ring around him and he knew there was little chance of escaping. Franz took a quick glance above him and noticed the light hanging there. Without a word, Franz swung his Keyblade around him, a majestic fire pouring forth from its starry tip, incinerating all but the farthest Unbirths. Those creatures then began their advance towards the man. Now they knew he was a threat that had to be dealt with instantly. Franz had a set and stony look on his face. He had cleared away the Unbirths to give him time, but now he had less time than he thought.

Starry Sky was quickly raised into the air above him and lightning suddenly poured from it and into the light. Soon the light began to flicker with an intense madness and some of the Unbirths, the larger ones, shied away from the bright light. This left the weaker ones for the taking. Franz swung his Keyblade across himself and the Unbirths there were eliminated. Then he ran for it. He darted down the hallway and noticed that as he ran, dead bodies were piling up beside him from the many members of the Order in the classrooms who were falling to the continual onslaught of Unbirths. More Unbirths were congregating the space in front of him and the ones that he had left behind were giving chase. Franz quickly swung his Keyblade in quick succession, clearing a path in front of him. Then he tripped over one of the dead bodies congregating the halls. He looked up, knowing his doom was close despite being so close to the stairs. He could hear the Unbirths crawling along behind him and he prepared himself for death. he could only hope it would be quick.

"Franz, down!" yelled a deep tone of a voice and Franz did as it commanded. A roaring and almost guttural flame stretched in front of him. Franz felt the heat on his backside but it was certainly a far more pleasant feeling than if he had just been fed to the Unbirths. Suddenly, the flame ceased but Franz did not raise his head until he saw on the edge of his peripheral vision a hand being extended towards him. He took it and stood up, looking into the face of an older man with a rather lined face, his Keyblade held aloft. "You okay?"

"I'm fine Alden, what's going on?" Franz asked in haste and concern. Alden shook his head as if the thought of it was causing him absolute pain.

"I'm not sure but we've been massively compromised. I just came from below and the people are fighting but they're dying. I heard some more scuffles up here and I came to check it out." The man named Alden said with deliberation. "Lucky I did. One more moment and you'd have been dead."

"How many are still alive?" Franz asked, fearing that the worst had befallen the Order. Alden inclined his head towards Franz thoughtfully and for a moment did not answer. Franz was extremely fidgety as he waited, glancing around to see if anymore Unbirths might attack. Finally, Alden answered.

"I have no idea Franz, the bodies were mounting high." Alden said and Franz could hear the despair and fear in the older man's voice. "Onyx chose the perfect time to strike and cripple us."

"Come on then, we have to save as many as we can." Franz immediately said, pushing past Alden who nodded in agreement. They reached the stairs and Franz flicked the electrical switch. The stairs, for the most part, in Crown Fortress were electrically operated to take one downstairs. They moved past the floor immediately below them for Alden informed him that all there were dead but he didn't know about the lower floors. So they stopped there and stepped out. The wave of death suddenly filled his nostrils. He stepped into the sea of bodies and scrunched up his face as if it would block out the smell. Then Franz heard a faint noise behind him, simple and silent, but enough to indicate in that fraction of a second that something was wrong. Franz whipped around, his Keyblade trailing with him and he blocked a blow that came from Alden. "What...what are you doing?"

"My job Franz." Alden said with a sneer as he pressed down on Franz's Keyblade with his own. "I promised I'd help deliver the Order to Onyx and so I shall." Franz grasped on a momentary impulse and sent one of his legs up hitting Alden between the legs. Franz himself lost his footing but he caused Alden enough pain that he was able to scramble up before the next strike came. Alden was still clutching himself in pain as Franz rushed at him. Alden recuperated and blocked the blow. He then drove forward and attempted to turn his parry into a thrust at Franz's heart. Franz saw it coming and he forced his own Keyblade up, driving Alden's own blade up with it. Alden broke off so as to not be disarmed and Franz took the opportunity to lunge forward. Alden angled his Keyblade down and stopped the blow. Franz kept pressing forward until his own Keyblade was pointing at Alden's face. In a deft movement he sliced it up and right across Alden's face, leaving a jagged scar where his nose and forehead were. He screamed in agony and Franz jumped back. Before Franz could make a move however, an ice shard flew out of nowhere and struck Alden through the heart. Franz turned around and saw a younger recruit by a two years known as Jenny runny towards him, her red hair tied in a ponytail behind her. Franz raised his Keyblade up as if to strike her.

"Relax, Franz, I'm not here to hurt you." Jenny said soothingly, stopping a few feet away from Franz so as to not be impaled by him.

"That's what Alden pretty much said right before he tried to kill me." Franz said warily. The hold on his Keyblade was slightly shaky now. Jenny took a few steps forward and with her own bare hands she lowered Franz's Keyblade and looked into his eyes. Franz nodded at her and they embraced for a moment and kissed each other. When they parted Franz asked her, "Do you know what's going on down below?"

"Barely, I heard it from Arthur who fled from the library. You should come with me Franz, there are a few of us in a classroom down the hallway." Jenny said, placing her hand on his shoulder. He was always comforted by Jenny's touch, the reason of course being that she was his wife. Franz nodded and they started trotting down the hallway. "From what Arthur told me, the fortress is in complete shambles. Unbirths are ripping it apart, we seem to now be the only remaining survivors excluding those who, like Alden, have turned traitor to Onyx."

"Is Onyx himself here?" Franz asked desperately, hoping that there was some shred of good news.

"We have no ides. If he is, he hasn't shown himself yet. But it's just as bad: the Unbirths were let in here by Cothius Cratus." Jenny spat and Franz was surprised that one of the generals had been the one to lead the attack. "Not only that, but the other men he was with, the one who led them deeper into the fortress was Juthias."

"Riku's old apprentice?" Franz asked incredulously and Jenny just nodded. Then they stopped in front of a door. Jenny knocked on it in a sort of code signal. Then the door opened and the pair was permitted inside. There were only eight others in the room, and all of them looked fairly cut up and bad.

"Franz, you're all right!" came a booming voice from Rustan, a red-bearded Keyblade wielder. "Jenny heard the commotion and went to go look. Good thing she found you or I don't think she'd be the same."

"Quiet Rustan or they might hear us." Said a black haired girl who glared pointedly at him. Franz glanced around the room.

"This is it? There's only ten of us?" Franz said and Jenny looked to him almost apologetically before she shrugged in acceptance. "We have to find a way out of here. I'm guessing you've tried the portals."

"Yes, and it doesn't work at all...it must be Onyx! But either way, Franz is right, they'll kill us if we don't find a way out!" said a smaller, but older man with a balding head and a slight nervous edge to his voice. "Juthias won't stop looking."

"If we can get back to Space Bay, I can start up a Gummi Ship and get us out of here." Franz said in an almost pleading voice. All of the members of the room stared around at each other, as if unsure what their next step should be. "Look, we stay here then they will kill us but at least if we try to find our way to a ship then we have a shot at escaping."

"Then I have to agree with Franz." Jenny stated convinced at her husband's idea. Rustan gave a booming laugh.

"You're only saying that because he's your husband, Jenny." Rustan said and Jenny blushed. "All right, it's only two floors up, right. But let's be on our guard and stay together. Almost ten percent of the Order's betrayed us in this fortress and there's no telling what they'll be up to." Franz nodded and proceeded to lead the group out of the room. The corridor was deserted as they looked into it which was good thing because it meant that the traitors and the Unbirths did not know they were there. They made it to the stairs without a hitch. As Franz placed a foot on the stairs Unbirths suddenly appeared all around them.

"Run!" Arthur squeaked and nobody needed telling twice. But as they ran, Arthur slipped on the stairs that they were running up manually rather than electronically. In an instant his body vanished beneath the Unbirths and he was gone. Finally the group reached the Space Bay floor. The thin mist that came after death was now swirling eerily over the bodies and they stumbled their way through the corridor, hoping beyond all hope that the Unbirths would not find them. After much running they made it into Space Bay, only to find the tall and haughty figure of Juthias standing there.

"None may pass." Juthias said without taking his eyes off the fleeing party. Jenny brushed close to Franz.

"Franz get them out of here. Start that ship up, I'll take care of Juthias." Jenny whispered to him, and though Franz didn't want to leave his wife, he knew it needed to be done. He silently signaled them to get moving towards the Gummi Ship that was closest. Franz took one last look at Jenny who had summoned her Keyblade and was advancing on Juthias. He shook the thoughts from his head and quickly dashed on board. Violet, the girl with black hair was he last on, but she kept the door open for Jenny. Franz sat down in the pilot seat and immediately began firing up controls. Soon, the Gummi Ship was humming and ready to take off. He glanced out of the cockpit window and saw Jenny's final moments as Juthias sent an ice shard to her head. Franz felt an enormous pain and burden over his heart but he knew he had to act fast. He engaged the weapons and fired them at Juthias. Juthias rolled out of the way and summoned a reflect shield to block most of the blow. He then sent a roaring fireball at the entrance of the Gummi Ship which Violet was trying to close. It struck her and she toppled from the rising ship. Rustan quickly closed the door before Juthias could get off another shot and soon the last ship that would ever leave for the Order, was gone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Onyx stood on the exterior of Crown Fortress, watching with smug satisfaction as smoke began to rise from Crown Fortress. Years he had toiled at making things this way and now at last it was going to come to fruition. Oh yes, this would have come much sooner if not for Edge and his pathetic little general friends. He had known Edge, had believed that Edge would hold the same ideals, he was his best friend, knew almost everything about him. But then Onyx discovered his lineage, the same lineage as his sister. They were descended from Luxcrieve Ardintous, the deity of the Realm In-Between and of Dusk. Slowly the plan began to formulate. The Keyblade wielders of the original Order and all those who they served had betrayed both Windsor and Luxcrieve and forced them into an overwhelming shadow. With venom, Onyx thought of how the Keyblade wielders, not only of the old Order but this one as well would place themselves as subservient to normal average people with no spectacular powers of their own.

That was all about to change. When Onyx learned of his ancestor, he knew things needed to change. He knew that Keyblade wielders needed to be the ones at the top not the sniveling people they served. of course, this was already after Edge had formed the Order. he appealed to Edge with his ideals but Edge refused. Angry that he was forced to remain servant, rather than master, he slid into shadow, opening some vague crack of darkness in his predominantly light heart. He knew that the only way he could fulfill his vision was by becoming head of the Order. And so, he befriended Cothius and the two worked together to undermine Edge's authority. Cothius believed in his vision and that was more than worth it to enlist him. So the two worked together and as things got worse, the more they prevented Edge from taking action. Then they could wait no longer.

When Gentai Tanaka turned it was time to move. He had hoped beyond all hope that things would get infinitely worse and then he could blame Edge for everything and take on his position. But no, Edge had to have a noble sacrifice and pass the Order into the hands of Sora, Riku, and Kairi. Onyx's plans were finished. For two years he was forced to play a puppet of Riku's, now trying to undermine _his_ authority. But he knew it wouldn't work, so he had no choice but leave and search for a power strong enough to destroy the Order that had failed to give him what he wanted. And as he searched he came to a realization: the Order wasn't enough. With his lineage and power, he should rule the worlds and the galaxy, remaining second to none.

Onyx was jerked out of his thought by a brief beeping noise in his pocket. He had just seen a ship go past and so he thought it might have been regarding that immaterial threat but when it beeped again he knew that the time had come to make his move, his allies had already moved off to the Vanishing Planet and the rest of the Order was dead. He let drop the spell blocking them from escaping (after all, should it come to it and things went poorly, he needed an escape route) and with purpose he waved his hands and the doors to Crown Fortress were blown off their hinges, crashing down to the ground. He strode down the main hallway, heading straight for the generals' chambers. Cothius was standing outside.

"They barricaded themselves in when the attack started." Cothius said with a smirk. "Should I help you or will you take them on alone?" Onyx smirked at Cothius as well.

"Perhaps it would be best for you to get a glimpse of my power." Onyx said briefly and he thrust his hands forward. The door to the general room dissolved before his eyes and Cothius nodded, rather impressed. Onyx strode into the room and the six generals hat he saw there turned to face him, their Keyblade's already summoned.

"Donald Ardintous, wielder of Nightwatch, we will not allow you or your presence to profane these halls." Donato said loudly and Onyx gave him a sneer.

"But you must understand Donato..." Onyx said, slipping off the black cloak he was wearing and summoning his Keyblade to his hand. It was a black and blue color with circles and ovals interlocking with one another to form the hand-guard. That same design then twisted up the shaft until it came to a pointy head. The blade itself was a three pronged trident, more like the devil's pitchfork. "It is what I will allow that matters." He swiped his Keyblade out and a sonic boom ripped through the lower area, knocking the generals to their feet. With amazing speed he dashed forward and impaled Donato through the heart. Cristophe came at him and he glided away from him, watching him stumble. Onyx raised his fist and a block of ice suddenly encased Cristophe. Onyx kept squeezing until the ice shattered and Cristophe fell on top of Donato, the jagged cuts from the ice pouring out blood but drying up as Cristophe slowly died.

Lucas was the next to aim for Onyx who flipped backward. But Lucas was too smart and kept dashing forward. Onyx held out his hand and the Keyblade stopped there, an inch from his palm. Onyx then grabbed hold of the Keyblade and wrenched it out of Lucas' grasp. Before Lucas could call it back Onyx had flipped it around an threw it right through him. Miriam came next, firing off a barrage of fireballs. Onyx whipped around and with amazing speed he deflected all of them with his Keyblade, sending them all hurtling back at Miriam who collapsed and died upon impact. Marcus now charged at him and Onyx wasted no time in clipping past the blade and grabbing him by the throat. He quickly choked the life out of him before tossing him against the wall like a rag doll. All that was left was Elizabeth.

"Cothius...you traitor. You and the taskmaster were in on this from the start." Elizabeth said with venom and a glance behind Onyx he could tell that Cothius was there. Wanting to waste no more time, he flung his Keyblade forward where it zoomed through her multiple times before returning to his hands, brutally ending her life. Cothius let out a hysterical laugh as her body hit the ground.

"At last, the Order has fallen! The ten generals have fallen!" Cothius exclaimed, walking up to his younger friend who he had just seen single-handedly demolish six of the generals.

"Not all of them." Onyx stated but Cothius waved the matter aside saying that Antonio was soon to be taken care of and Riku was nothing compared to Onyx. "But where is my sister?"

"Probably hiding somewhere, she must have run." Cothius said with amusement over their new victory. Onyx shook his head.

"She never runs. And besides...not all ten generals have fallen." Cothius was now confused as to why he kept repeating this single idea and sentence. Then, in the flash of a moment, Oyx's blade was run through Cothius who gasped. "How do I know Riku didn't order you to spy on me? Or even more so, how do I know that you won't divulge everything to Riku when it's most convenient?" Cothius looked at him pleadingly for a moment before Onyx took his blade out and the seventh general crumpled to the floor. Onyx waved his hand and all of the generals' bodies flew to the walls where they lay there unmoving. Suddenly he heard a rush behind him and he whipped his hand around, creating a shield that protected him from the blast. Mere seconds after he blocked it, Melissa dropped down to his level.

"Brother!" she spat with venom and Onyx faced her, a sneer on his face. "You...you..." She couldn't seem to get the words out, but her face was twisted into one of absolute rage. Onyx looked at her.

"Of course...I just killed your lover didn't I?" Onyx said, mock sympathy oozing his voice, trying to strike at her heart. "Forgive me, Ruby, whatever shall I do?"

"It's Melissa!" she spat at him and now his face looked as though he had truly taken a blow from this, almost reflecting the outrage, anger and sadness on his sister's face..

"So...you abandon your family name..." Onyx breathed. "And here was I, going to offer you a place in my new world."

"I would never join you! You've killed countless of innocent people!" Melissa yelled in rage, conveying the anger over losing Marcus and the Order in that sentence. "You betrayed your friends, your family! Everything!" Onyx's face burgeoned into one of frenetic rage.

"_I_ betrayed nothing! It is people like you who betrayed everything, choosing to serve these people who are lesser than you. It disgusts me!" Onyx turned his back on his sister and stared at the dead eyes of the man who was once her lover. "This is not the way things were meant to be! We were meant to rule! Join me sister and together we can rebuild these worlds to be what they were intended."

"You're twisted..." Melissa breathed out, staring at her brother's back. "No...I won't join you, and whatever you're planning. I won't let you go through with it. I am Melissa Ardintous, general of the Order of the Crown, not a slave to demented illusions. I will defeat you brother, I must defeat you." With those words she summoned her Keyblade in a dazzling display of light. Onyx smirked.

"You can try, dear sister." Onyx said. Melissa braced herself for the attack that was about to come. In a flash, Onyx leapt through the air. His Keyblade, which he had dismissed after disposing of Cothius reappeared in his hand as he went spiraling towards his sister. He landed with grace as Melissa took a step back and blocked the blow. Then the duel began. Onyx ran at her and struck at her feet, Melissa quickly brought her blade down and blocked the blow. With blinding speed Onyx struck up at Melissa's face but Melissa managed to parry it in time. He tried to strike at her sides, alternating quickly but Melissa managed to block all of them. He went straight at her face but Melissa quickly brought her Keyblade up in an underhand to block the blow. She then twisted her body to move out of her tight position. As she did so, she spun her brother's Keyblade off of her own and managed to switch positions with him. He came straight at her again and Melissa held her Keyblade sideways so as to block the blow, pushing it off. Onyx once more tried to bring his Keyblade at her side again but Melissa headed it off before he could even get close and it ricocheted away harmlessly. He tried to thrust at her gut but she jabbed her Keyblade down and swooped it up and off of her. The two then clashed one more time before they broke apart.

Onyx summoned energy within his Keyblade and a pulse of dark energy went off like a shot and blasted through the wall of the generals' room and into the cafeteria. Melissa backed up and went to try and walk through it but Onyx came at her. He spun around, his Keyblade colliding with her diagonal one. He then spun out of it with dexterity and Melissa, anticipating the attack, formed her Keyblade the other diagonal way. Onyx finsihed his spin around and with an aggressive manner he clanged against her Keyblade three times before he broke off. He then came up towards her head and she held it horizontally. Onyx, wanting to destroy his sister aggressively attacked it but Melissa pushed her Keyblade forward and broke off Onyx's attack. But he soon renewed the assault and Melissa was forced to change her stance and Keyblade blocking Onyx's next assault. She pushed up to break off her brother's blow but he pushed back down. However, Melissa was not one to be defeated so easily and she pushed back, finally breaking off her brother's blow and backing into the cafeteria. Onyx came at her and turned his back to her, his Keyblade spinning along behind him. Melissa parried the blow as Onyx turned back to her. he thrust forward and it turned into a spin which Melissa parried with her own thrust. She managed to reach Onyx's free hand and held it behind his back. But Onyx was too quick and his own Keyblade quickly shot behind him and blocked his sister's blow at his exposed back. With formidable strength he then pushed her off of him. He spun his blade at her again and she parried it with a horizontal slash. She knew she wouldn't last much longer if she let this drag on and so, as Onyx spun his blade back towards her she spun into it and pushed the blade off.

"Charge!!" she yelled and the amount of lightning that coursed through Onyx's body was enough to send him flying through the cafeteria, crashing through all the tables to the other side where the stairs were located. Melissa ran at him, her Keyblade outstretched. Onyx quickly got up.

"I don't think so you bitch!" Onyx screamed in absolute fury. He raised his hand and the tables suddenly started whirring around him. He snickered as he began to throw them at her. She swiped her Keyblade up and it sliced through the table. She spun around and sliced through another. A third one flew straight for her legs and she jumped into the air and came down upon it. But that was what Onyx needed as he came in and kicked her in the gut, throwing her to the family. Melissa sat up and kicked at Onyx's legs, eventually entwining hers with his, causing him to topple over. Melissa flipped up and Onyx was just as quick and the two blades met with a resounding clang in the cafeteria. Melissa did a few backflips and then sent some fireballs at Onyx. Onyx swung at them with his Keyblade and they ricocheted over to where the food was usually held, setting the place alight with flames. He then ran at his sister as she ran at him and their Keyblades knocked over each other. They separated and Onyx raised his hand again and flung more tables Melissa who used a variety of spells to eliminate them, freezing some of them, flinging the next away with lightning and then resorting to the hack and slash method for finally decomposing the final three. Melissa took a downward strike at her brother who parried it in the same way. But Melissa's movements had been forcing him back. They separated and attacked in the same way again. This process repeated until at last Melissa nearly had her brother cornered. She thrust at him and he knocked it away before grabbing her throat mercilessly. He began to squeeze the air out of her but Melissa forced her knee up into his crotch and he howled in pain, letting her go. She dropped to the floor.

She quickly shot back up and Onyx came at her but she kicked up into the air and kicked the Keyblade out of his hand and clattering onto the cafeteria floor. She then went at him and he lashed out with his own hands and disarmed her with them. Seizing on his close proximity she sent a kick to his stomach that sent him sprawling to the ground. She summoned Rising Sun back to her hands and brought it down upon Onyx only to find he had summoned his own Keyblade and there it was, blocking hers. His leg came up and hit her in the knee, forcing her back as he flipped up. At last the two of them were on the threshold of the stairs and Melissa was the one with her back to those stairs. As she backed into the stairs she had a flash of inspiration and slammed her fist on the stairs causing them to move. Onyx came at her and she blocked his blow from the doorway preceding the stairs. Onyx pulled away and thrust his Keyblade forward, spinning it almost like a drill but Melissa wasn't fooled and she backed away from the blow. However, this movement allowed Onyx to at last proceed into the stairway. They stepped on the now moving stairwell and Onyx attempted to slash his Keyblade at her. She deftly blocked it and pushed it off of her but Onyx's Keyblade grazed the side of the walls, hitting the switch and completely dismantling the stairs from moving. They stopped with a sudden jerk and Melissa was thrown off balance.

Onyx took this moment to kick her in the chest. She was sent tumbling down the stairs but she quickly caught onto the ledge and flipped herself up higher than she was before. This forced Onyx to come chasing after her. Before he could reach her she backed up quickly and sent a jolt of thunder through the nearby door to the second floor of Crown Fortress which forced it open. As Onyx at last reached that level Melissa pounced and began forcing him into that hallway. Melissa twirled around and Onyx was forced to hold his Keyblade diagonally to parry the blow. She tried to carry the blow up to his head but he jerked it up and blocked the strike, forcing Melissa's Keyblade down. He moved his Keyblade, making a grating sound as it ran along hers but Melissa jumped back and the blow merely grazed her leg, making a slight cut that Melissa felt she could deal with later. But now she had her brother cornered like an animal and all of the rage that she possessed was flowing forth. She struck at him but when Onyx parried the blow their two Keyblades were frozen, neither giving the other an inch to maneuver. Melissa was the first to break free and she whipped around kicking straight at onyx's chest, sending him careening into a nearby classroom to the right, straight through the closed door. Melissa quickly ran in to finish the job but Onyx was up and he struck at her. She twirled around, her Keyblade following and the blow glanced off of it. Then she jumped backward and sent a beam of light straight at her brother. But he did the same and the two lights met in midair. Both of the siblings' wills was strong and soon there was a small explosion and they were both rocked back. Onyx was the first up, his Keyblade suddenly brimming with the power of Kingdom Hearts. Melissa attempted to block it, but the strength was so much that it began to overpower her. She rolled away from the attack and it missed her entirely, slamming into the floor.

The aftereffect of the attack suddenly left a huge hole in the stone floor that led down to the floor below. Onyx recovered from his missed blow and turned his attention fully to Melissa who deftly flipped backward and slipped into the hole to the floor before Onyx could attack. She found herself on the balcony that overlooked the library. After all, the first floor of Crown Fortress was the biggest, often seeming as if it was two floors itself. She looked out over the library and saw that some of the shelves were toppled over and many bodies were trapped beneath them. It was a disgusting sight to see but she could think on it no more for Onyx dropped in at last and came at her with a feral scream. He missed as Melissa flipped backward onto the railing of the balcony, herself deciding that for now she would have to wear Onyx down. Onyx however, seemed to calm himself down from his sudden bout of rage and smirked at his sister. He dismissed his Keyblade and aimed his hand at the base of the railing. A shot of power flew out and struck the railing. Melissa flipped backward and landed on top of one of the still-standing bookcases. The railing of the balcony was instantly obliterated and Onyx smirked even more wickedly at his sister. He raised his hand up and swept it down, sending a humongous orb of energy. Melissa flipped backward onto the next book case just as the orb exploded, sending out a huge shockwave that ripped apart the bookcase and sent it crashing to the floor with its fallen comrades, pages beginning to litter the air.

But Melissa had absolutely no time to think. She dismissed her own Keyblade, her full thoughts focused on dodging her brother's now incoming projectiles. Onyx sent a great number of the green and blue orbs that exploded near enough to her to rattle the bookcase that she flipped on, but not near enough to do any damage to her. At last the projectiles stopped incoming but as she looked, she saw her brother slam his fists onto the ground and a great shockwave ripped through the entire room like an earthquake. For a moment, Melissa thought that she heard the bookcase beneath her begin to groan, but as it made no more noises she dismissed the thought. She quickly summoned her Keyblade out and pointed it at Onyx.

"FLARE!!" Melissa yelled loudly and a red mist began to pervade the room, shielding her from Onyx's view. Not only did that happen, but ten flaming projectiles shot out of her Keyblade, with the purpose and intent of homing in on Onyx. Onyx whipped his head around, trying to sense them, but quickly decided it was futile. He raised his arm to the ceiling and the red mist came and coalesced into his hand, the projectiles with them. He only allowed a moment for a smirk before his hand extended out, still holding the collected energy.

"ULTIMA!!" he roared loudly and Melissa's eyes went wide with shock. Hundreds of rainbow-colored projectiles shot from his hand and most of them aimed straight for Melissa. Without thinking, Melissa erected a reflect shield. Then the first few hit. At first it seemed like she was going to be okay, but the projectiles kept on battering the shield which eventually broke and they all struck Melissa with a vengeance. It was a lucky thing that most of them were gone already, hitting other places in the room for the spell didn't do nearly as much damage as Onyx had hoped. Still, the damage was slightly considerable, providing lacerations on both Melissa's arms and legs. The bookcase beneath her began to move and she knew that it could fall any moment but she was still recovering. She muttered a cure spell under her breath and she felt her energy return to her somewhat, just as Onyx landed on the other end of the teetering bookcase. Melissa stood up from the crouching position she had got in when the spell assaulted her. Onyx's Keyblade was now out again and he began to advance on her, a task made considerably more difficult by the teetering bookcase. He lashed out at Melissa but her own Keyblade blocked the blow and Onyx didn't dare try to strike for anymore as he struggled to regain his balance again while Melissa did the same. This time Melissa struck out and Onyx blocked the blow. However, Onyx used the momentum of his parry to push himself forward, putting more strain on the bookcase. He tried to strike at her from different angles but each, and every, one of them was blocked.

At last, the bookcase had had enough. Melissa felt the bookcase begin to collapse beneath her and as Onyx slashed down at her, she leapt off and fell to the ground gracefully, looking up at the top where Onyx was scowling. Onyx quickly followed and landed just as the bookcase began its descent. Melissa thrust her Keyblade at him but he batted it aside and wound his fist up, punching her across the face. She staggered backward but threw herself at him. Their two bodies met and began a grapple with each other just as the bookcase hit the ground and sent a cloud of dust into the air. Finally, Melissa was able to break free by twisting her leg around and kicking Onyx on the back of his leg. She took a glance and saw that she was only a few feet from the door. Debating nothing, she ran for it and made it into the dust free hall of main corridor of Crown Fortress. Onyx followed soon after, thrusting his Keyblade at her which transmuted into a spin that Melissa blocked, wincing as she did so because her arms were still in pain from the lacerations. However, Melissa noticed that now their roles were reversed yet again as she was the one being forced back to the general's room. Onyx didn't attack her with the Keyblade, instead eyeing her for a moment as a carrion bird eyes its prey. Then he sent shots at Melissa using his Keyblade. She managed to deflect them, but at the cost of being forced backward. Onyx continued this process and Melissa figured that he was trying to trap her in the generals' room which she was now on the threshold of. Sure enough, she soon stepped into the area where the dead and unseeing eyes of the man she had loved were resting. Melissa backflipped and eventually made it to the base of the thrones in the room as Onyx strode in with confidence. Melissa whipped her Keyblade up and a strand of light formed a sort of rope that allowed her to be pulled up to the thrones where Onyx merely jumped up to stare her down from the opposite side, a scowl of anger and hatred on his face.

He placed his foot on the base of the chair and kicked off, hurtling at Melissa like a rocket. Melissa jumped at him and tried to bring her Keyblade on his body but he twisted around and blocked the blow, quickly transforming his defensive maneuver into an offensive one but grabbing onto Melissa and hurtling her down to the ground. Thankfully, Melissa was able to land gracefully and was ready to attack just as Onyx landed. She came at him but now their attacks were coming far slower than before. All Melissa was consumed with as she twisted her Keyblade around in so many angles was the hatred for her brother and her desire to beat him. Onyx felt the same about his sister. At last their two keyblades mat before they broke off and stepped away from each other, glaring at each other.

"You're not the brother I remember!" Melissa screamed, her face now dirt-spattered and sweating. "You're not the brother I use to respect and admire!" Onyx's own face looked much the same and was still twisted into one of rage.

"I am still respected and admired! Only now I shall be feared as well!" Onyx raged at her and she shook her head. "I'm just trying to build the universe in my image and end this suffering."

"Then I'll end yours!" Melissa said as she held her Keyblade defensively and Onyx smirked at this movement.

"No my sister...this is where it ends for you." He ran at her and Melissa blocked the blow. He quickly changed position and moved to strike at her feet but she blocked that. Melissa however anticipated Onyx's next move as he brought his Keyblade to the side of her head. But in a sudden flash, Onyx used his feet to trip her and she fell to the ground. Knowing that Onyx was too close for her to get up she readied herself to block his blow. He plunged his Keyblade down at her and she brought the Keyblade across her own body and Onyx's glanced off before he whipped it around and knocked her Keyblade out of her hand. Then, before Melissa could summon her own back, Onyx had stabbed her in the gut. She gagged, feeling that the end was near, especially as Onyx moved the Keyblade across her before withdrawing it. Melissa's breathing suddenly became ragged as Onyx turned his back on her. She attepted to move but only managed to flip over onto her stomach where blood was now flowing freely. She could feel herself starting to lose conscious and her vision began to become blurry. Onyx began striding towards Riku's throne.

"And so the Order falls dear sister. You and your kind are no more." He began to say, his back still facing his sister. A new thought, perhaps a comfort began to enter her head and it became like a flame inside her. Struggling against the pain she reached her hand out, willing Rising Sun to come back to her. "Now I shall take the throne and from here, the worlds shall be built anew. Next comes that pitiful province of Radiant Garden. And once I've crushed them...well, I'll rule for all eternity." Melissa could feel the warmth entering her hand as the Keyblade appeared. She hoped that Onyx would continue talking. He had now reached the throne and was turning around, preparing to sit in it. "I am sorry we couldn't see eye to eye, but perhaps it is for the best." Melissa focused her will on Radiant Garden...that was where Riku was, that was where he had to be. The beam of light extended from her Keyblade and the portal opened. At once, Onyx realized what was going on and he shot up. Melissa began to crawl...she had to get there, had to get there before Onyx did. Her hand reached the portal and she began to crawl inside. Her head entered next and then her body. Just as her legs were about to crawl in she felt a searing pain on her back as Onyx's Keyblade cleaved the flesh from her bone. She whimpered out in pain but at last she slipped in the portal and it closed, leaving only Onyx and the bodies of seven generals in the room.

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Author's Note: Wow, that actually took longer than I expected. I really hope you enjoyed the fight since I have been working on that in my head for months and had really wanted to write the Battle of the Siblings. Yes, I had to go back and show how the Order fell and now you all known what has become of Cothius and Franz and others (like the new character Rustan who will be very important next chapter) and how Onyx went from nuisance to full-villain: he was always a villain, just on a smaller scale. Now that the crap has hit the fan I want you to start looking for comparisons between characters cause it might be interesting as to what you find. As for our next chapter, I may or may not post next week as I will be seeing _**Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince**_** with some friends of mine. On that note actually, if you enjoy Harry Potter and would like to read an awesome parody of the first three years check out my good friend Ger's profile page and read the Gary Splotter series; I guarantee you'll laugh at least once. I think that's all for now so, please review and Dare to Be Silly.**


	17. Chapter 16: Operation Darkness

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts in any way shape or form so never ask me if I do unless you mean if I own the discs on which I can play the game in which I do. Nor do I own Final Fantasy IV for the breif moment that it will appear in this chapter.**

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Chapter 16

Operation Darkness

A triviality. That was all that it was in essence. His sister had escaped, but in the end, it meant nothing. It was he, not she, that had the power of Kingdom Hearts at his disposal. It was he, not she, who had won their battle. Still, Onyx grimaced as he strode along the now empty halls of Crown Fortress. Well, not quite so empty as there were still bodies littering the place, the last sign of the far fallen Order. His sister had put up a fight, more of a fight than he thought she would have. If he hadn't resorted to using the powers of Kingdom Hearts, he would have ultimately lost...and Melissa was just the tip of the ice berg. There were many others, still out there and still more powerful: Sora, Riku, Kairi and the king.

_Well, not for long_, he savagely thought as he at last reached the mission board room. This was where the final stage of everything would take place. Where he would have victory and begin building his new world. It took only a few simple words. The door still slid open but there was electricity throughout the room, remnants of the siege the Unbirths had performed. He quickly strode over to the console that was thankfully still working. He punched in a few keys that allowed him to open up an access channel to the Vanishing Planet where soon after Juthias Iscarot's face appeared on the screen.

"I trust everything went according to plan." Onyx said, a bit more gruffly than he would have liked to but that was the way it was. "What about that ship?"

"What happened to you?" Juthias asked, a slight concern present in his tone. Onyx scowled. He hadn't taken the time to look at himself at all and now that Juthias mentioned it, it brought into sharp relief the burn marks on his clothing and the slight burn he felt on his chest from the shock that Melissa had given him. Not to mention, it took more energy to use Kingdom Hearts than he had originally thought.

"I'm the one asking the questions here so answer it!!!" Onyx roared, spit flying from his mouth. All pretense was gone now that his wounds were revealed. Juthias must have been frightened by the manic look on Onyx's face for he backed away slightly and proceeded to answer.

"Seven wielders of the Order escaped on a Gummi Ship. One of them was killed by the Unbirths and two of them I-" Juthias said but Onyx cut him off with an angry sneer on his face.

"I don't care about the details!" he said agitatedly but quickly regained his composure. "Put the taskmaster on." Juthias nodded and said no more as he ran off to get the taskmaster. Onyx put a hand over his chest and quickly healed himself of all the damage that was done to him during their battle. It was soon after he felt any semblance of pain go away that the taskmaster, black hair disheveled and green eyes sparkling with happiness, appeared on the screen.

"So, I hear the invasion of Crown Fortress was an ultimate success." The taskmaster said and Onyx said nothing for a moment, letting his eyes say all they needed to say. The taskmaster seemed to get the message and he cleared his throat. "I suppose I know the reason why you're calling?"

"Give me the codes now." Onyx demanded and the taskmaster nodded, looking Onyx straight in the eyes.

"The code is six, seven, six, eight, six, six, six." The taskmaster replied and Onyx nodded, immediately terminating the communication. He brought up another screen: the mission board and quickly and efficiently typed in the seven-digit number. The screen flashed a brilliant blue and all of a sudden, it seemed as if multiple channels opened up to certain communicators. In fact, of the thousand in the Order, four hundred of them had been tasked to other worlds in the war...and two hundred of them had been on his side now. Onyx brought a microphone up to his mouth's level.

"Activate, Operation Darkness." Onyx said, and that was all that needed to be said. He closed the communication channels and strode away. At last, his victory would be realized.

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On the darkened streets of Halloween Town, Antonio was leading the residents into battle, his apprentice, Raul, by his side. The Unbirths were many and large, but Antonio felt that they would be fine in battle. He summoned Caladbolg to his hand and faced the members of Halloween Town that were about to force their way forward into the Graveyard and possibly Curly Hill.

"Citizens of Halloween Town, let us defeat these fiends which scare but also harm!" Antonio said. They roared in approval. Antonio took a brief look at his skin, which was a pasty grey color since he had arrived. That was all he could really do to fit in with the crowd: change the color of his skin to look remotely deader or at least scary. But there were bigger things on his mind, and this battle was one of them. The moment they put down this battle and the Unbirths then he could return to Crown Fortress and deal with the smaller war taking place at home. Antonio turned to the approaching throngs of Unbirths and held Caladbolg in front of him. He gave a small glimpse to Raul behind him and a curt nod as Raul summoned his own Keyblade and prepared for battle. With a mighty cry, Antonio led the group forward. He was among the first to reach the Unbirths and he took a mighty cleave into the crowd, swiping away a large number of Unbirths. Soon after this, all of the residents had emerged into the throng. _Well, that's one good thing for them about practically being undead_, Antonio thought with a small chuckle.

The Battle of Halloween Town, five minutes into the fray actually seemed to be doing rather well. Antonio's magic helped him out of plenty of tight spots and for the most part he felt that this was a battle they would be certain to win...he almost wondered if he really needed to have come at all. After all, maybe someone of lesser status could have come and done this. But just as soon as he saw the throng of Unbirths start to thin, something felt very off, though Antonio couldn't place a finger on what it was. Then, for a split instant he felt a roaring heat and he quickly rolled out of its way, a fireball whizzing past him and sailing into a two-headed creature fighting some Unbirths who screamed in agony as the fire seared his deathly skin. Antonio looked to see where the source of the fireball was and saw Raul standing there, his Keyblade held out at him and with a scowl ordaining his face.

"Raul, what are you doing?!" Antonio said, utterly perplexed about what his apprentice had just done. Raul lowered his Keyblade for a moment before getting into an attacking stance. His scowl soon turned into a smirk.

"Fulfilling my mission." Raul said shortly and without another word he leapt forward. Antonio quickly raised his Keyblade to block the blow and Raul's own Keyblade grated against his. Antonio didn't say a word against his apprentice's newfound madness, knowing somehow that no words would sway him...only the piercing feel of a Keyblade running through his gut. Antonio pushed Raul off of him and kicked out at him, his foot rebounding off of Raul's Keyblade. He staggered backwards and ran at his apprentice. His apprentice switched his position on his Keyblade, using his right hand and holding it down diagonally across his body. Antonio's Keyblade struck it and Raul pushed up before he swung his leg up and nailed Antonio in his crotch. Antonio grimaced but didn't fall down. But it mattered not for Raul tripped him and then sent a close range fireball at his body, leaving Antonio's body burning upon the ground. He kicked at his master's now fallen body before raising his hand into the air. All at once, the Unbirths disappeared from sight and Raul left the world, leaving not only the confused residents of Halloween Town but also his last ties to the Order.

And thus it was that Operation Darkness, the last attempt by Onyx to eradicate the worlds of the keybearers began. On the Pride Lands a young duo of Keyblade wielders, roughly the same age were fighting the Unbirths and it was there that one of them tackled the other off of Wildebeest Valley, sending them careening into the gorge below, not knowing they were meeting death until they met it, nor realizing at whose hands it was until it was too late. In Atlantica, a young couple were fighting when the man of the group received the orders and, with no hesitation, killed his fiancée on the spot with little to no mercy. It was the very same on the world of Atlantis where a father killed his own son in cold blood for being a Keyblade wielder that was against Onyx whereas he was for Onyx. But no worse eradication took place than on the world of the Land of Dragons.

There, the Unbirth's had driven them up to the castle gates and Yao, who was the only one left on the world as his comrades had gone to Radiant Garden led his soldiers and the Keyblade wielders stationed there through Operation Flame to finish the battle against the Unbirths. It was their last stand as it were. But before they could even meet the creatures in battle, Yao felt a sharp pain in his back. He placed a hand there and saw that he was bleeding. He looked up to the top of the steps and saw the whole line of Keyblade wielders standing there with their Keyblades out, firing a barrage of flames and ice and lightning at all of the soldiers there. Yao yelled out to rally his men against the traitors who had fought with them and had now turned on them and there were still a few of them that responded. But before they could even reach the bottom step, they were all dead, Yao's final thought being of his beloved princess and of Mulan and Shang, and whether they would be safe.

But the traitors were not yet finished on that world. They called back the Unbirths, being able to control them through Onyx and made their way to the Emperor's chamber under pretense of peace. Then they slaughtered all of them in cold blood: soldier, princess, and Emperor alike. This was done so that this world, who had supported Sora, who had supported their departed leader Alexander would no longer be able to aid them all in the war. And so it happened that the Order fell even farther; the Land of Dragons was lost in the war.

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On the Blue Planet, Mickey and Jim were enjoying the festivities of the coronation at Baron castle. It had all been made possible by Clive and Thomas of the Order who had returned from Mysidia to clean things up in time for the coronation. And all of their friends were there too. Mickey remembered the events of that morning most stunningly. Cecil was dressed in his usual armor that he had worn as they journeyed across the Blue Planet. But Cid and his men had done some work on that armor and it was glistening perhaps even more so than when both Mickey and Jim had first seen him in said armor. Cecil himself had stated that it seemed to shine even brighter than when he had first received it on Mount Ordeals, upon becoming a paladin. Somehow, this made Mickey happy inside. Rosa, who he married right before the coronation was dressed in a beautiful blue and white dress that Mickey thought suited her well. Still, the king of Disney Castle was tired: five days of running around a planet could do that to you. Not to mention he had been asked (as well as Jim) to lead the Red Wings and drop off their friends at their respective kingdoms and the next morning to pick them up. It had certainly kept the two of them busy. But at least they had all been ready in time.

The coronation itself was an event to remember and Mickey could not remember a happier time that he had shared with the members of the Blue Planet. Mickey had brought both Cecil and Rosa down after they had (or so Jim assumed) consummated their marriage. As he was bringing them down Cecil mention that he thought he heard his brother, Theodore's, voice. In some way, that encouraged the king. Regardless, when they were downstairs they found that all the soldiers of Baron were organized and Cid was standing near the throne as the soon-to-be new king and queen of Baron sat in those thrones. First came Edge who greeted them in his usual boisterous manner (and later high fived Jim) before taking his place. The young prince, now king, of Damcyan was next, bowing to them, his blonde hair rippling slightly as he clutched his harp. He promised he would play them a song at the festivities later. Next was King Giott of the dwarves with his daughter Luca who both bowed to Cecil and then to Mickey himself. Mickey even invited Giott over to Disney Castle later. Next up came the elder of Mysidia who had only briefly met Mickey and Jim but was delighted to see them all the same. He had brought to two young ones Palom and Porom with him, Palom trying to sit on Cecil's throne before trying to flirt with Luca. Porom practically pounced on him and dragged him away, much to both Edge and Jim's humor. The second-to-last to arrive was Yang, who announced that due to his efforts in the war against Zemus he would soon be crowned as king of Fabul. Last came Rydia who had breifly gone to the Feymarch and met with Asura and Leviathan, Queen and King of the Eidolons. She smiled at both Cecil and Rosa and then tried to talk with Edge who attempted to ignore her but didn't do very well. Jim shifted slightly upon her entrance.

Jim had told Mickey the night before that when they were dropping Rydia off at Agart she had approached Jim about some possible feelings for him. Jim somehow guessed that though Rydia may only have a seven year old mindset she still had hormones raging through her body that caused her to have these feelings. But Jim felt it was wrong to indulge these feelings as he shared none of said feelings (having been harboring feelings for someone back at the Interstellar Academy), so he turned her down but mentioned that he thought she was already spoken for. And he guessed that Rydia had figured it out to mean Edge. Jim cast an encouraging smile at Edge and he nodded at him. Regardless, the coronation went on and Cid placed the crown on Cecil's head and everybody, even the members of the Order cried in happiness. Thus they had a small coronation party of everyone who was invited while Cecil instructed the new Captain Demetrius to form the army and get ready to ship it tomorrow to Radiant Garden. Yang also promised his monks would aid in this, and Edge, his ninja forces. The elder had even promised sending some mages from Mysidia. It made Mickey happy to see such a good thing happening in these dark times. Rydia, Jim and Edge were chatting it up and Micky noticed Edge's hand slip surreptitiously close to Rydia's. Still, at least there was no love lost between the three. Edward, the elder, Cecil and Yang were all talking together with Rosa about the coming war and Luca, Palom, and Porom were all playing a game of tag while Cid and Giott spoke of building some airships for the dwarves. Clive had bid a small farewell to the king but a few minutes earlier as he went to meditate and Mickey had no idea where Thomas had went. Still, Mickey was filled with a warmth that permeated his entire heart and body.

It came crashing down within a matter of seconds. Suddenly a wave of horrible fury washed over his small petite, mouse-like form and it was all he could do to keep himself standing. He had no idea why he was feeling such pain all of a sudden but it threatened to consume his very being. He clutched at his heart as if he could hold it still and stop the pain but it made no difference. The agony continued and kept washing over him in renewed waves and screams. To Mickey, he had no idea what could be causing this, and in an environment such as the party he knew he would not be able to figure it out. The pain subsided briefly and Mickey knew he had to make it to a secluded room where he could dwell on his thoughts. He briefly caught Jim's eye and with them he indicated where he was going. He knew that Jim understood where he was going and so he felt okay with leaving. He reached a darkened room and snapped the door shut. The small mouse fell to his knees in pain as voiced ripped through his very mind, voices of pain and anguish and darkness almost engulfed the small mouse but, using the strength of his heart, he managed to pull his own thoughts together and override that crushing wave of darkness. He took short breaths to steady himself and was at last able to fully pull himself together.

Something had happened. He knew it to be true, for he wouldn't have felt such a crushing blackness if it wasn't so. But he didn't know _what_ had happened in the slightest and that was what worried him. Mickey closed his eyes and extended his heart to feel everything around him. Usually this practice could not spread to other worlds but he felt that whatever tragedy had happened, it had not befallen this world...yet. The voices and feelings were muted but the agony was still quite present in the area and Mickey couldn't help but wonder what had caused it. But one by one it started dying away, as if a pillow or a gag had been placed into the hearts and mouths of all these voices crying out in pain. Mickey sighed in slight defeat but his tiny mouse ears picked up a noise, however slight: the door had creaked open and someone was walking towards him. Mickey's nose crinkled and he knew it couldn't be any of his friends for they would never be this sneaky. Mickey's ears picked up a faint sound that was associated with the summoning of a Keyblade. Mickey crouched slightly but not visibly, and as he heard the swipe of the Keyblade coming at him he whipped around and blocked it with his own.

The face of Tom was staring at him, anger and hatred etched in the lines of his face. He was trying to kill the king and he knew it. But then there were three large noise that Mickey associated with a plasma gun and Tom had a blank look on his face before he toppled over. Mickey leapt backward as the Keyblade wielder hit the ground. Mickey looked up and saw Jim standing there with his gun out, pointing at where the back of Tom had been. He had a look of pure determination on his face before he holstered his pistol.

"I saw the guy sneaking over to this room two minutes ago. I went to check out where he had come from and found his partner dead, all signs that he had done this work himself. I knew you were over here and so I followed him. Good thing I did too." Jim said rather quickly as if to get all the thoughts into the open. Mickey fixed him with a stare of determination.

"Time to go, Jim." Mickey said and Jim nodded. They emerged from the room into the coronation where all eyes were turned on them. Clearly they had heard the blast of a laser gun. Mickey strode up to the knot of kings. "Cecil, we need you to be ready by tomorrow. We'll send some ships to pick you up but you need to be ready." Cecil merely nodded as Mickey stood next to Jim who took out a small device and beamed them onto the Gummi Ship. Without another word they quickly made their way to the cockpit where they sat down in their chairs.

"Why do you think he killed his partner and tried to kill you?" Jim asked, firing up all the devices on the Gummi Ship. Mickey's brow furrowed in concentrations.

"Something must have happened and it must be bad." Mickey said and Jim snapped a look to him as he began piloting the ship out of the Blue Planet's orbit. "I'm afraid it might have to do with the Order. Let's look for any communications devices from them and head for Crown Fortress." Jim nodded and immediately set to work doing what the king asked as soon as he put the ship on autopilot. After a few minutes however, Jim had a very disgruntled look on his face.

"This is strange...there's nothing in this area." Jim said while shaking his head. Mickey looked at him in confusion. "Look, it's not like they're dead either because right beyond this border I have it that there are plenty of Order communication signals...one on each planet, which is also strange since I know there should be at least two. But in this quadrant here...nothing."

"Like...no one's there?" Mickey asked, now just as confused as Jim was.

"Exactly, and last we had heard there were Order members stationed on every world but Radiant Garden, Disney Castle, and Montressor. But yeah, nothing's there." Jim said and he started fiddling with controls but his look became more and more agitated as he went along. "I think you're right...something bad must have happened or else I don't think there would be one communicator on each world and none of them are responding."

"Nothin'?" Mickey asked in shock, wondering why no one was responding to and Interstellar Academy ship using the king of Disney Castle's code. Jim shook his head before a green light suddenly started blinking on the console. Jim went for it immediately.

"This is the _I.A.S. Beacon_, who is this?" Jim said. He wouldn't open up video communications until he was sure it was safe to do so. A garbled voice soon came over the transmission.

"This is Franz Piretti of the Order of the Crown. Crown Fortress has recently been besieged and has fallen. I am one of seven survivors from the fortress who have gotten on a Gummi Ship and has managed to flee." Came Franz's voice over the line and Jim snapped a look to Mickey who's brow creased in worry. "We noticed the Disney Castle code and contacted you immediately. Is His Majesty King Mickey there?"

"This is His Majesty." Mickey said and Franz let out a sigh of relief over the line and Mickey could hear several others on the other side as well.

"Oh, thank goodness. Your Majesty, the Order has fallen and I don't believe General Riku knows about this. It was all we could do to escape. Can you help us Your Majesty? We are not sure of what this might mean for us or the rest of the Order." Franz said, the worry very evident in his voice.

"We can help ya Franz. I want you to head to the Interstellar Academy on Montressor, there's no need to worry Riku, Sora or the others just yet." Mickey said and Jim sat back, wondering how Amelia would react when seven Order members suddenly showed up asking for sanctuary. "We'll figure out what to do from there?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Franz acknowledged and the line was cut off and Mickey knew they were folloing his orders. Mickey turned to Jim quickly.

"Can ya get us through to Amelia?" Mickey asked and Jim nodded furtively. In but a few seconds the image of Admiral Amelia appeared on the screen.

"Hawkins, what is it? Why are you contacting me?" Amelia asked in slight annoyance. Jim snapped a salute to her.

"Admiral, sir! Captain Hawkins reporting! I have news, the Blue Planet has agreed to send their forces to join in the war." Jim said before Amelia nodded and mumbled an "at ease". Then Amelia turned to Mickey.

"Admiral, we got a big problem!" Mickey said so strongly that Amelia, had she been a lesser woman, would have jumped. "It looks like the Order has fallen and we haven't been able to contact a single member on the worlds. I think Onyx might have ordered all of his men to kill the others that were against him. I'm afraid that any who survive this attack will go back to Crown Fortress to see what happens and they may fall into a trap."

"What is it that you need me to do, Your Majesty?" Amelia said, now all business regarding the situation.

"I need ya to send out a beacon to all order communicators left on the worlds telling them that the Order has fallen and Crown Fortress is not safe and that they should head to the Interstellar Academy." Mickey said. Amelia accepted the orders without another word and the communication terminated. "All right, now we head to Montressor." Jim obeyed the king and swung the ship around, aiming straight back towards his home. The flight passed in silence until, roughly three hours later they touched down at the Interstellar Academy where Amelia and a line of other officers were standing.

"Your Majesty, thirty seven Order members arrived here in the past three hours. And I'm afraid that is all that may be coming as none have arrived for the past hour." Amelia said briskly and Mickey accepted all of it. He knew that she was leading him straight to where they all were gathered. "All of them seem very shaken by this ordeal so I believe it best that they hear from you straightaway."

"Thanks Amelia. Jim and I can handle it from here, then I gotta get home and contact Riku and Sora to let them know what's going on." Mickey said quickly. That at last arrived outside a white door. Amelia bowed to the king and then strode off, lightly touching Jim's shoulder as acknowledgement that she was glad he was okay. The two companions strode up to the door and it slid open before them and they walked into a rather large white room. All at once, a clamor of voices rose up and started babbling at the sight of the king. Mickey, who had quite sensitive hearing but a hand over his ears. Jim strode over to the wall and pressed a button that was over a glass case. A loud and sharp sound filled the area and everybody in the room quited down.

"This it?" Jim asked loudly, asking the room at large if the people here were all that was coming. One man stood up before them, his glasses slightly down the bridge of his nose and his black hair ruffled.

"Yes, this is it. My name is Franz Piretti and you must be James Hawkins. I'm guessing it was you I spoke to." Jim nodded in acknoledgement rather than shake the man's hand, not that he was offering. "Your Majesty, as I told you before, only seven of us escaped Crown Fortress and from what I hear, of the other thirty people who are here, they were on assignment and attacked by their partners. They barely managed to defeat them when they received the beacon telling them to come here."

"There would be more," said a red-bearded man gruffly. "But I would guess that of those who survived some of them went to Crown Fortress and met a grisly end. A masterstroke for Onyx and his men." He gave out a low and angry scoff and Mickey looked around at them all.

"Well, fellas, this is serious." Mickey said and everyone in the room mumbled under the breath. "So far as we know, Riku doesn't know a thing and that means problems for everyone. I wanna move all of you to Radiant Garden as soon as possible and let Riku know what's going on." For a moment there was silence and nobody spoke at the king's proclomation. Then the red-bearded man stood up next to Franz.

"Your Majesty, what we have been through tonight is not easily forgotten by all of us. We risked our lives to come here against our wishes. We did not ask to be attacked or to be given the Keyblade. As you know, we were chosen by the Keyblade." The man said. _Yeah, or a deity_, Jim thought in his head but that red-bearded man continued on. "What would have us do upon arrival to Radiant Garden? Fight again?"

"But you guys have got to!" Mickey said exasperatedly. This was not going at all the way he had planned it. "Onyx did this and he'll keep doin' more unless you guys help out and stop him!"

"Forgive me, Your Majesty but we cannot do it." The man said and he sat down, placing his thick finger on his chin. "Would it help ease our pain and suffering by doing so I would gladly aid in this endeavor. But alas, 'twould not. It cannot ease the pain we have come to know this night."

"So what would you do Rustan?" came a soft voice, almost a whisper from the man standing next to him. "You would just let all those who died tonight. Those who died fighting Onyx rot in their forgotten graves."

"Franz, you should know better than anyone. Jenny gave her life to save yours and it seems to me a pretty poor way to repay her by gambling your life out on the battlefield!" Rustan said, color rising in his cheeks as he stood up again. Franz got straight into his face, his own face coloring now and all eyes in the room were on them.

"I'd say it would be a poor pay to repay her by standing by and allowing Onyx a shot at ruling to worlds." Franz yelled at him. "I know my wife better than anyone and she wouldn't have given her life to have me sit here and cry over all who we have lost. Do you think Jenny would sit idly by if I had been the one killed tonight?!"

"You forget everything that has happened!" Rustan said, his anger now high in its stride. "We have lost homes, families, and friends because of Onyx, I do not forget that. But I also do not forget that this wretched Keyblade is the reason we have lost our normal lives."

"Now you're starting to sound like what Riku has told us of Gentai Tanaka and how he felt. And we all know what happened to him!" Franz said and Jim and Mickey gave a start, knowing of course what Gentai's original destiny had been as head of the Order.

"Don't you compare me to some lunatic child who couldn't learn to control his emotions over those he lost! I'm not about to kill innocent people but nor am I going to risk my life to save them anymore either!" Rustan screamed with unimaginable fury.

"Then you're just as bad as Onyx!" Franz yelled and Rustan let his temper get the better of him and he corked one straight on Franz's face. Franz fell to the floor but popped right back up, blood leaking from his nose. He seemed ready to retaliate with his own fist but a voice cut clear through the din and turned all eyes, including Franz and Rustan's, to the speaker.

"SHUT UP ALREADY!!!" Jim yelled. "What are you? Children or men? I'm younger than both of you and I already know that this isn't the time to be fighting." Suddenly the tension between Rustan and Franz seemed to dissolve but Mickey could still sense the overall tension in the room directed at Jim. "Look at you! Your Order has fallen and you know who's responisble for it yet you stand here fighting amongst yourselves. All of you know the pain that Onyx has caused in the worlds and he's just gonna keep on causing more."

"So you would have us fight despite knowing what we have been through?" Rustan asked calmly, his rage seeming to have ebbed away. Jim locked eyes with him and then looked at everyone in the room.

"You're part of these worlds, aren't you?!" Jim asked and everyone's breath seemed to be caught in their throat. "Aren't you?! Forget the fact that you're Keyblade wielders...the point is that you are part of these worlds and you wouldn't want Onyx to rule. So isn't it your duty to fight?! Isn't it your duty to stand up and stop him?! Are you really just gonna stand by and let Onyx destroy everything Sora, Riku, His Majesty and you yourselves have worked for?! I know I won't and you shouldn't either. You have a duty to stop him regardless of whether you want to or not! So will you? Will you fight him? Will you stand up to him? Will you?!" He looked at each and every member in the room who gazed back at him with rapt attention before he voiced his final question.

"What say you?!"

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Author's Note: Wow...that turned out longer than expected. Anyway, now you hopefully see what I meant when I said that Jim was going to be an important character and as for what the Order members will say...well, we don't know yet (well I do, but that's besides the point). I know this seems a little Star Wars-ish but I couldn't let there be a ton of Keyblade wielders on the good side. It would turn the war ridculously well in their favor. Now, as a warning, next chapter will probably be the cruellest chapter I will ever write for our characters so you may be able to guess what will happen. Until then, PLEASE REVIEW!!!! And Dare to Be Silly.


	18. Chapter 17: Just A Passing Dream

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts but I do own all my original characters.**

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Chapter 17

Just a Passing Dream

The blue-robed man strode gallantly past all of the dead trees and wilting plants en route to his destination. His feet crunched as he stepped on the dead grass, even making a sloshing sound as they passed through the water of the swamp. But whenever they would emerge it would look as if his feet had never been in any water at all. He paused for a moment, checking his direction to see that he was heading the right way and gave a quick glance to the nighttime sky. It was clear that night, but the man could sense something elsewhere, dreaded and elusive. Still, the sky here had stars that twinkling firendly at him. But as his gaze moved along the horizon he saw the stars blackened over by some clouds. It was very small, and it wasn't moving toward where he was but had been situated in one location for the majority of the time. The man tore his gaze from the sky and walked on, at last arriving at the base of the cotage he was looking for. There was a slightly welcoming light inside and though he had not been invited to the cottage that particular night he still felt he would press his luck with the inhabitant's hospitality.

"Oh come now Orgoch, bring that loom over here so we can continue to work on it!" came a voice drifting up from the house and the corners of the man's mouth lifted in a smile.

"Oh Orddu, I'm sick of working on that dratted loom. I'd almost rather someone else finish it." Orgoch stated unpleasantly and two other voices sighed simultaneously.

"Well, it won't do us any good arguing," began the third witch in the room before raising her voice and saying, "will it Yen Sid?" Yen Sid couldn't help but chuckle as the door opened. He strode in, his blue robes rippling about him.

"Ladies, how wonderful to see you." Yen Sid with a slight incline of his head. He was about to speak again when suddenly Orddu cut him off as quick as a shot.

"Not a word about asking us to join forces with Sora and the others in this war, my duckling, not one word. We stay out of such things. Each and everything has their own time and place and we do not interfere with that order." Orddu said and Yen Sid nodded before speaking louder and across the three women in the room.

"I wouldn't think of asking you ladies to get involved. I still remember the three times I showed you cheek while you trained me." Yen Sid said a chuckle on his lips and he was relieved to see that the three witches of Morva were smiling. "I still have scars from the last time. No, actually I came to speak to you on a different but related subject."

"Might this have something to do with what we think it does?" Orwen said girlishly, and exactly as Yen Sid remembered her being. She cast a brief glance with the other two and Yen Sid allowed him a moment to compose his thoughts, after al, it was still strange in his mind that these three people were essentially one.

"I take it our messenger has arrived? I mean, not that the poor duckling _knows_ he's our messenger..." Orgoch asked of Yen Sid gruffly and he looked at her confusedly for a very brief moment.

"From what I know, I've seen no messenger. But might this messenger have something to do with the prophecy that I heard so many years ago and have attempted to forget?" Yen Sid asked, his eyebrows arching towards the three women. All three shrugged their shoulders at once.

"Well clearly your attempt to forget it has led to you remembering it quite vividly I take it, duckling." Orddu said with her own chuckle now laced into her voice. Yen Sid just gave her a steely look but she seemed unfazed by it in the slightest. "Oh all right Yen Sid what is it? You clearly have wanted to ask us something?"

"I've been dwelling on the words of that prophecy for the past month and I had to come and ask...the three Keys...are they alive in today's history or in the past?" Yen Sid said, conjuring up a chair with the wave of his hands and sitting down

"It depends on what you mean by alive..." Orgoch said with a slight sniffle. "If by alive you mean are they breathing and is their blood in their veins then certainly they are alive. All three in fact."

"Of course, do you really think we haven't devoted time to researching our own prophecy." Orwen said with a girlish laugh and Orddu soon followed with a short barking one.

"Yes, of course we've figured out what everything means, unlike those bolt-headed companions of ours. Why, we've not even seen them since that prophecy was made!" orddu said and the three gave a snicker. "But Yen Sid, there's more than this point of the prophecy that you have asked about which you want to know. So ask up, my duckling, ask up!" Yen Sid sighed with defeat, there was no hiding anything from the three.

"The three creatures and the switch of powers...is this all leading to the Heartless and the Nobodies coming back?" Yen Sid, his face set and blazing. "Because if it is then all the work that Gentai Tanaka did, demented though he may have been at the time, will be wasted."

"No work is ever wasted." Orwen assured her former apprentice. "No, no, no, quite the contrary. In fact, I'd say that Gentai Tanaka's sacrifice opened the portal for the prophecy to be fulfilled if you take my meaning, my duckling." Yen Sid, despite his vast amount of wisdom merely looked at her dumbly, her meaning not sticking to him at all. "Apparently not though, in either case there is no need to fret about it."

"Yes, ask instead your other questions, one we are inclined to answer." Orgoch said brusquely and Yen Sid understood that he would have to accept the inevitable. So he lightly brushed the matter of the prophecy aside to ask a question that he had been hypothesising on for twelve years.

"Long ago, when you taught me the various odds and ends of the history of the Keyblade and also that of your own nature you told me of Windsor and his building of weapons, if I remember correctly." Yen Sid began and he gave them each a breif look as if to ascertain that he was, in fact, correct and that he may continue. "All of these weapons had a certain destructive force to them such as Oblivion whcih could shatter worlds with a simple blast, leaving behind only a fragment of that world's heart which represented memory. But twelve years ago something happened that made me wonder...is it possible that the Black Cauldron was one of the weapons that Windsor created." There was silence in the cabin for a moment before all three witches chuckled a bit. It was slightly eerie but Yen Sid pushed it past in favor of persevering for the answer.

"Oh yes, duckling, Windsor created the Black Cauldron with Luxcrieve so long ago, trapping such darkness within it, oh yes." Orddu said mysteriously and with a faint smile on her lips. "Windsor offered it to us, in return that we might stay our hand and our just decision on the matter upon which he was tried. We accepted the gift, preferring to leave it by the wayside but did not join Windsor. Well, as could be seen by the Horned King's lust for power we could no longer leave it in the hands of anybody who so wanted to have it, so we took it back. Does that answer your question?" Yen Sid folded his hands and looked pointedly at the three before voicing the question he had once most wanted to ask.

"Then is it possible that Windsor created a safeguard on these weapons. A way to insure that should they defeat their master, their master may yet return. From all the studies of documents that I have Oblivion could latch its computed memories into any form and grow so that it might survive. But what of the Black Cauldron? Is it possible that those who died in the cauldron could come back?" Yen Sid asked, displaying his impressive knowledge of many things. The three considered him for a moment before they answered his question.

"Let us say that...it is the manner in which they were defeated and the status of their heart which may make all of that difference..." Orgoch said darkly. Yen Sid mulled this over in his brain for a moment before nodding and standing up, his chair vanishing from beneath him.

"I thank you for your time ladies, but I have business that needs doing. I sense that the king may be returning to Disney Castle very soon and it is time for me to take my leave." Yen Sid and he bowed to the three before turning to go. They didn't move at all as he walked toward the door for when Yen Sid had reached the door and opened it he had turned back to the three. "This messenger that you mentioned...will I know him when I see him?" The three exhcnaged knowing glances and smiled.

"Oh, I think even Sora and Riku would know him when they see him." Orddu responded and with that, Yen Sid was out the door.

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Riku sat beside Melissa's bed in the Radiant Garden Hospital as she slowly recovered. Riku was glad to hear that she would be able to make it if she could just live through the night but still, Riku had paled at the thought of what would have happened if Sora, Kairi, and Aerith hadn't all pitched in to heal her enough so that she could tell them about what happened at the Order. It horrified him and at the same time he couldn't help but blame himself. Blame himself for allowing both of his apprentices to betray him. Blame himself for allowing Onyx to get so far. He wanted to hit something, he wanted to scream out loud, but being able to do neither of those things he took the consolation prize and watched over the woman who had not only lost her brother and her love, but also her pride. Yet she was still here, tethered to life, his bravest lieutenant. That thought enough allowed him to get some small measure of rest beside her bed as Sora and Kairi went to go check on other things that included breaking up the party and checking on the Order members scattered across the worlds. It was very late around midnight that Sora and Kairi at last made another appearance, jerking him from his disturbing dreams of a demented sixteen year old boy.

"How is she?" Kairi asked softly and Riku shrugged his shoulders, showing her that nothing had changed in her condition other than the fact he knew she was healing. They had been lucky to seal up the wound on her stomach but it left a rather large scar there. Riku was just as pained to see the brunt of what Onyx's Ultima spell had caused when they undressed the poor woman and had shown the various cuts, bruises, abrasions, and blood that were on her chest and whole body. But perhaps the most horrifying was huge gouge on her back where Onyx had ripped the skin from her bone. With rudimentary skin healing skills they had restored a thin layer of skin to her back...but it would never be the same for her again. She wasn't dead, or paralyzed, but it would take her at least a week to even swing a blade again. Riku turned to Sora.

"So, what's going on?" Riku asked, keeping the quaver out of his voice with his usually stoic attitude.

"Bad news all around. I've been in the study with Tron and he pretty much told me that a ton of communicators all over the worlds suddenly blinked off." Sora told him, scratching his head in slight frustration. "Tron investigated the matter and as it turns out, Onyx had planned this from the very beginning. There are no Order members left on any of the worlds because Ony'x members betrayed those loyal to you and killed them all off." Riku had a pained expression on his face at this statement...had he been so blind that he had let all of this happen right under his nose. "It's even worse on Land of Dragons. From those who survived the onslaught they told Tron that apparently the Keyblade wielders there, turned on them at the last second, killing Yao and then later assassinating the Emperor. If we hadn't gotten forces from there a few days ago we would have been doomed because that world has fallen to Onyx's reign."

"From what Sora's old me, they're creating camps there now to house the prisoners, chucking in anyone who won't support Onyx in the war...which amounts to pretty much everyone." Kairi said with a venom and an anger that Riku hadn't seen on her in a long time. Riku hung his head and sighed.

"Pretty much we're getting kicked around now." Riku said in a melancholic tone and Sora nodded. "And it just had to happen now when we bring everyone together and when the king is still out of touch with us." Riku slammed his fist against the wall in anger and Kairi attempted to shush him for as the sound reverberated around the room, Melissa at last stirred feebly once again.

"Riku...?" Melissa croaked out and all three were suddenly at the side of her bed, listening intently. "My brother...he's too...too..." She shuddered in pain and stopped speaking for a moment but when she spoke again it was with unwavering determination that gave Riku hope. "I want you to gut the bastard for me...promise me that." Riku could do nothing but nod and Melissa once more collapsed in a tired heap. There was silence for a moment before Sora spoke up.

"She's right you know...that's what we have to do." Sora said in a quiet but strong voice and everyone snapped a look to him. "We have to take care of Onyx. We defeat him, his forces crumble to the light." No one said anything at what Sora was suggestion but all Riku knew was that anger was filling his heart and he was not going to let Onyx get away with such atrocities. He stood up from his chair and looked Sora straight in the eye.

"Onyx is probably at Crown Fortress, gloating over what he's done. Let's get going." Sora smirked at him and the two shook hands. Kairi looked between the two of them, absolutely horrified.

"What?! He took down the entire Order and you guys think you stand a chance!" Sora and Riku looked at Kairi incredulously. "I know you guys are strong but not for this. Six generals took him on at once and loss."

"Yeah, but we're not going to underestimate him." Riku said while staring her straight in the eye.

"Heck yeah you won't." Kairi stated with passion. "Because I'm going with you." The two boys looked at each other with smiles on their faces and all they could do was nod. Sora quickly stepped outside and told Aerith to look after Melissa and then Riku created a portal to the Crown Fortress gates and stepped through.

Immediately they were met with a truly horrific sight. The exterior of Crown Fortress was in ruins with guards hanging off of turrets and many dead bodies littering the foot of the now broken gates, swung off their hinges and disgraced upon the ground, like the Order itself. The trio quickly summoned their Keyblades without thinking; they knew that whatever they were going to find was going to be ugly. Riku stepped first and Sora and Kairi came behind him, ready to react at the simplest sign of movement. Riku waded through the bodies and the now empty archway that once contained the fortress gates. Soon they entered the entrance proper and made their way along the hallway, moving quietly along so as to avoid attracting attention. There were bodies along this hallway but they all seemed to be pushed to the sides of the wall, and Riku figured it must have been from the battle between the siblings. He passed by the library and chanced a peak inside.

The tomes that were once stacked so beautifully on the walls and the bookcases were toppled over, some loose pages from the broken books still fluttering down from above. The bookcases themselves were toppled over and broken, splintered into various pieces. Riku curled his fists at the sight and started to shake. He noticed the hole in the ceiling that Melissa had fallen through and his anger at last got the better of him. He let out a feral roar and held his hand in front of him. Suddenly, a very large barrage of dark spheres floated out of his hand and kept attacking all over the place, slamming into the now fallen bookcases and the tattered bookcases. He was angrier than he'd been in a long time and he wanted to erase the very matter that the Order had ever existed, that he had ever failed in his leadership. It was just like with Gentai however, no matter how much he tried to forget the boy he haunted his dreams; and no matter how much he wanted to forget his failure, his shots of Dark Aura did nothing to destroy those traces. Suddenly Riku felt a hand on his shoulder. Kairi's hands.

"Riku, it's okay, just let it go." She said softly and Riku's anger and vague darkness in his heart was lifted and his breathing returned to normal. His hand let out one more shot that disappeared after barely leaving his hand and he lowered that too. He turned to Kairi and nodded.

"I'm sorry I just..." Riku tried to get out but Kairi just smiled at him understandingly. She pulled him into a hug to comfort him and Riku hugged her back. Kairi then let go and looked at him expectantly. He took the hint and strode quickly in front of his two friends, including Sora who had stood there solemnly through the whole ordeal. Riku didn't have a thought in his head as he sped forward except for how he was going to eliminate Onyx. He didn't even realize where he was going or how far behind his friends were until he heard a shout.

"Riku!!" Sora cried out and the silver-haired Keyblader turned around and saw that his friends were nowhere in sight.

"Sora!! Kairi!!" he yelled out, his blood pressure elevating as he sped back down the hallway. They soon answered, but from right beneath him.

"Down here!" Kairi called out and Riku took a step back in shot. He didn't realize that he had been standing on a completely different kind of floor than the rest of the hallway. This floor was silver and shiny, compared to the rest of the white floor. "It must have been a trap."

"Onyx...he must have set these, knowing we were coming here." Riku growled out, realizing that he was going to have to be more careful as he went alontg. "Sora, can you use magic to try and break out?"

"I can try!" Sora's voice wafted up from below. "Fire!" Riku heard the rush of flame hurtling at the floor he was standing on but their cieling. But what happened next was completely unexpected. The fireball hit the cieling but made no dent in it, rather Riku heard it hurtled back towards his friends. Then there were a few more whooses and slams before an explosion sounded out. Riku was about to yell out before Sora responded. "It's all right Riku! We're all right...just a little shocked. These walls must be made of reflective material...they're surrounding us on all sides."

"I'll try to get you guys out!" Riku said and held his hand in front of him pointing it at the floor but before he could do anything Kairi's voice came up.

"No, Riku, just go on and leave us. We'll try to find our own way out. Right now, finidng Onyx is the important thing." Kairi said and Riku became absolutely conflicted.

"But-" Riku said, trying to reason with them.

"GO!!" the two yelled and Riku decided it was no use arguing with them. He turned his back on the silver floor and walked further along the hallway. The general room, that was where he decided to go. Onyx would most likely be there...and if he wasn't, then at least he could see the murders themselves. He strode along in silence, his scent expanding in order to try and ense anything that might be going on. After a few minutes of his slow moving he at last reached the general room, the doors there, also sheared off. He stepped in and looked around. There was a large hole in the wall that lead into the cafeteria and some of the thrones were chipped off from the battle. Riku looked at the edges and by the foot of the chairs and saw the bodies of the sevenm generals. He was closest to Cothius and looked down at his pitiful form and shook his head. _That's what you get for making a deal with devil, Cothius..._Riku thought and he continued to survey the room, but finding nothing. Then his senses picked up on something, in Space Bay. It was a scent: Onyx's.

Quickly, he strode from the room and proceeded to one of the staircases. He flicked the switch to move up but merely heard the crackling electricity before it spluttered and died. The stairs never moved. Riku didn't give it any further thought and began to jog up the stairs. Due to his innate knowledge of Crown Fortress he knew that Space Bay was in the upper levels and he immediately got off at the right stairwell. He certainly felt that it was strange he hadn't run into anything but at the moment that was alright by him. He proceeded to make his way along the hallway and found himself, sooner than later, entering Space Bay. He put his senses on high alert, searching for some sign of Onyx. He only saw two bodies in the whole of Space Bay. A woman he recognized as Franz's wife and another younger girl. But there was no sign of Onyx immediately.

"So, you came after all." Riku's heart caught. It sounded familiar but...it couldn't be. "You had me worried Riku. I thought you'd given up for good." Riku whipped around. They couldn't be back...could they? Riku was frantic, searching for the source of the voice. Then Onyx's booming laugh sounded out and Riku realized it was all just a trick, aided by the power of Kingdom Hearts. Onyx stepped out from behind one of the Gummi Ships. "Do you like my new fortress Riku? I think it certainly has a nice sense of decor, don't you?"

"Since when has this been _your_ fortress?" Riku demanded angrily and Onyx smiled cruelly.

"Since I took _your_ Order and put it into a permanent sleep like the dogs you all are." Onyx said, striding slowly toward Riku. "Now we begin anew, rebuilding the worlds in my own image, you see?" Riku held his Keyblade up prepared to strike.

"Oh, really...and what of your allies?" Riku asked sneeringly and Onyx gave a slight smirk and a shrug of his shoulders.

"They're just pawns. Once I rule they'll be no more than a nuisance and shall be dealt with." Onyx said with purpose. "Not unlike yourselves. The Land of Dragons has fallen and is already in my grasp and as I take it, my men have usurped thrones in Port Royal and the Pride Lands in their rulers and heroes absences. But you can still make the right choice to serve me and I shall spare all that you ask." Riku just gave a feral roar and leapt at Onyx, who opened his arms and held them outstretched. Riku brought his Keyblade down and swiped through, but his Keyblade passed through midair and Onyx disappeared.

"Wha-?" Riku said in surprise before he realized that the only thing he had been talking to was an illusion.

"Really, Riku? Have you ever tried thinking first and slashing later?" came Onyx's voice again and Riku whipped himself around to see Onyx standing there, looking at him. Riku prepared to slash at this Onyx before he heard his voice from another direction.

"Or are you simply confused?" said this other Onyx and Riku saw yet another one. Soon there were a multitudes of Onyx and Riku wasn't sure if this group included the real one or if they were all illusions. All of the Onyxs began to laugh loudly and Riku decided to get rid of them. He held his hand out and began firing shots of Dark Aura at them, turning as he went to eliminate each and every one of them. And they were eliminated until he at last reached the last one. That shot connected and the figure went sprawling backwards and landed on the floor. Riku ran up to him and grabbed him by his throat, holding his Keyblade up to it.

"It's time for you to die, Onyx." Riku said venemously and Onyx laughed in his face.

"I think you and I both know you won't do it. It's not in your character." Onyx said with a sneer.

"How do you know what I would and would not do?!" Riku spat and Onyx only continued to laugh even as Way to Dawn pressed into the flesh of his neck, drawing a small amount of blood.

"Because I know you Riku..." Onyx said with a flash of his eyes. "And because I hold your friends' lives in my hands." Onyx said, letting the hammer fall. Out of shock, Riku dropped Onyx who was laughing at his expression. For a moment, Riku couldn't believe it but he soon got his wits back. He grabbed Onyx.

"Where are they?!" Riku yelled in fury.

"If I told you that then it wouldn't be much fun would it?" Onyx said with a bout of laughter. Riku brought his knee up and nailed Onyx in the crotch.

"Tell me where they are Onyx!!" Riku said but Onyx kept laughing. "You set that trap in order to capture them and only them, didn't you?" He shoved Onyx to the ground and kicked him. he let his deep laughter subside before looking Riku straight in the eye.

"Of course I did." Onyx said with a smile. "Now you better hurry, cause you don't have much time left and you have thirteen floors to go."

"What does that mean?!" Riku roared, all of his former dignity and cool-headedness forgotten.

"I was always planning on telling you where they were...especially after this. I pitied you after all." Onyx said, at last managing to stand up. "They're at the castle of memories." Onyx needed to say no more for Riku summoned his Keyblade and opened up a portal to the one place he could mean: Castle Oblivion.

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Sora stirred feebly. He couldn't remember much of what happened. He remembered being trapped in that room with Kairi and then some strange smoke had entered the room and suddenly both of them had passed out. He didn' remember anything after that. He groaned and tried to move but found that he was strapped to a stone pillar in a white room. His hands were also bound and they seemed to feel a little different. He tried to move his hands around to see if he could struggle free of his bonds when his own hand brushed against something else: another hand.

"Kairi?" he croaked out and he heard her groan next to him but she didn't say anything. Immediately, Sora thought of summoning his Keyblade and he tried to but to no avail. The Keyblade wouldn't come. This made Sora panic. Kairi finally spoke.

"Sora, is that you?" Sora grunted out a confirmation and then he felt Kairi begin to struggle. "Where are we?"

"No idea...but I think...we might be in Castle Oblivion." Sora said and then he looked around and noticed a new detail of the room. All around the pillar that both he and Kairi were attached to there was a set of three bombs. Strange looking bombs...but bombs nonetheless. Suddenly Kairi spoke again, but this time it was in a voice of panic.

"Sora...what's going to happen?" Sora realized that she must have noticed the bombs as well. He shook his head.

"I have no idea...but it'll be all right, okay?" Sora reassured her and he seemed to sense her nod. But soon her body began to shake.

"Sora, I'm scared." She spoke, her voice quavering as she did so.

"So am I, Kairi, so am I. But it'll be all right." Sora breathed out and Kairi started shaking more as she began to cry.

"I just worry...what if we don't make it out of here?" Kairi said, divulging her true fear of the situation. "I mean, what about the kids and if we die then where will they go?"

"Don't worry Kairi, we're not gonna die. We're gonna get out of here, I promise." Sora yelled, hoping that it would be enough to console her.

"Sora..." she sobbed out, her fear overtaking her."No matter what happens...I've always loved you." Kairi said, her voice cracking and Sora stopped for a moment.

"I know, but we will get out of here." Sora said and he began to struggle against his bonds. He thought he must have struggled for quite some time before the ticking in the clock next to him began to increase and Sora knew the bomb was close to detonation. Then he heard footsteps pounding up the stairs and near the door to the side of them. Suddenly, the door swung open as the bomb ticking reached its climax. Riku was standing in the door, his Keyblade in hand. But the moment he stepped through that Keyblade disappeared. Riku looked shocked for a moment but thought no more on it and quickly shot Dark Aura to break his friends free. They got up.

"Are you okay?!" Riku cried and they nodded before he noticed Kairi was shaking. Sora nodded at him and he quickly grabbed her, Sora trailing along behind them, heading for the outside of the room and safety. The ticking stopped just as they reached the door and everything seemed to move in slow motion. Riku and Kairi reached the door first and made it out. There was a flash of light as Sora barely ducked out of the room. He summoned his Keyblade in an attempt to seal off the door with a reflect spell, but he was too late. The flames from the bomb suddenly sprang out at Sora and caught onto the tips of his fingers. Before he could do anything, the flames spread up his arms and to his torso. Sora screamed in agony and toppled down the stairs, rolling along the ground until the flames were at last gone and he was on his back.

But he hadn't been the only one affected by the blast. Both Riku and Kairi had been flung against the wall. Riku was the first to move and got up slowly, aching only slightly from the pain. He walked over next to Kairi and saw her stir. There were slight burns on her arms and legs but other than that there was nothing _too_ serious. He quickly helped her up and they looked over to Sora. The same could not be said for him. Sora himself was awake and attempted to move but soon found that he could not. And the reason why was beyond anything in cruelty that Riku could have imagined.

Sora was lying on his back, his clothes were smoking heaps, barely hanging off of him. The parts of his chest that were revealed were twisted and burnt in a way that no one could have imagined, leaving him looking as though he was strangely disfigured. But the arms were the worst. The upper portion of his arms were much the same as his chest, horribly disfigured and burnt but on Sora's forearms and his hands was where the worst damage was done. Sora's fingerless gloves were completely gone, burnt to cinders and so was his skin, leaving only bare bone. There was some skin hanging in ratty pieces on his body but for the most part the skin there was gone along with the nerves. But Sora could still feel pain, and as he tried to sit up he felt the pain of having no skin and no nerves but merely bone rush through him. He looked over to the side and saw his wedding band lying there, abandoned and Sora began to cry. The dream he had had only two weeks ago had come true.

Riku and Kairi quickly rushed to his side and helped to pick him up. Riku took a glance inward and saw that the building itself was unharmed. Riku bit his lip as Kairi bent down to pick up Sora's wedding band. It had all been a trick. Onyx had always counted on them to come to Crown Fortress and to capture Sora and Kairi. He had always wanted to do this to Sora...and that was why those flames had hit him and only him. Sora had experienced the power of Kingdom Hearts firsthand. Riku summoned his Keyblade and opened a portal to Disney Castle...the only safe haven. He and Kairi then proceeded through and landed in the Audience Chamber. A cry came out from right next to them.

"Riku! Kairi!" Mickey's voice chimed out and Riku turned to him in utter surprise.

"Your Majesty, what're you doing here?" Riku asked, forgetting about the situation for the moment.

"I came home to take care of stuff and get ready for the war after me and Jim finished up at the Blue Planet and the Interstellar Academy." Mickey said before he finally saw Sora and his current state, which was now passed out and burnt. "What happened to Sora?! We gotta get him help right away!!" Without another word, Riku and Kairi followed the king to the castle infirmary and let the three fairies, Mickey, and other mages in the castle begin their work on hopefully healing Sora. Riku and Kairi were forced to wait outside. It was a very long nigth as the two sat there in silence, Kairi falling asleep at some point in the night. The sun was just waking up when Kairi awoke and found Riku.

"Sora?" Kairi asked but Riku shook his head, indicating there was no new information. Kairi took a look out to the courtyard with tears in her eyes. "Why is it always us Riku? Why do we always have to do this and experience so much pain...?" Riku looked at her with tears in his own eyes.

"I don't know why, Kairi...I don't know why." Riku said, shaking his head. But Kairi hadn't heard him and had rounded on him.

"WHY IS IT SORA WAS THE ONE BLOWN HALF TO HELL?!!!!" Kairi yelled.

"Kairi, it's okay...calm down." Riku said but he knew there was no stopping this enraged Kairi.

"NO! It's not OKAY!!! My husband is lying in there in absolute agony while others are sitting comfortably at home!" Kairi yelled, tears fling from her eyes. "Why do we have to sacrifice so much?" Riku looked at her for moment and then responded in a meek voice.

"Because there's no one else..." Riku replied and Kairi suddenly stopped and deflated from her anger, looking at her best friend with sadness. She looked down at her hand where Sora's wedding band had been enclosed since she had picked it up.

"It was just a passing dream...wasn't it? A passing dream that faded day by day..." Kairi said and Riku had no idea how to respond. But he didn't have to worry for soon afterwards, the door to the infirmary opened and Mickey stepped out wiping his brow. "How is he?" Mickey looked solemnly to them all.

"He'll be fine...except for the arms." Mickey answered, staring at his mouse feet. "Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather healed the majority of the burns on his chest and back. But they'll never go away...they'll always be there as a reminder. There was a lot of magic in that blast and it's preventing us from healing it fully. But his forearms and hands had barely any skin left. We managed to restore a thin layer of skin and all of the nerves but that's all we could get."

"Will he ever be able to be the same again?" Riku asked concernedly and Mickey shook his head.

"Nope fellas, I'm sorry. He'll constantly be in pain from it unless he teaches his body to ignore that pain. We can help with magic and medicines but that's all we could do for now."

"Could he still do normal things? Fighting? Eating?" Kairi asked, her eyes now puffy and red, her grief going beyond tears now.

"It might take him a few days, but I know he can do it!" Mickey replied cheerfully, trying to lift the pallor on the situation. "But I don't know if he could ever fight again...He wants to see you guys now."

"This is all my fault." Riku breathed and turned towards the wall in the corridor. He slammed a fist against it. "I should ahve been there...I could have stopped Onyx when he attacked. If only I had..." Riku began sobbing uncontrollably. He had never been one to cry but seeing his friend in so much agony, being unable to do anything, and knowing it was his fault was enough to make him cry. Kairi put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's not your fault Riku." Kairi assured him. "Nothing could have stopped this...nothing. No matter what would have happened...we would have been there for you anyway. And we still are...right to the end." Riku turned around and faced his auburn haired best friend.

"Thanks Kairi...I'll join you guys in a moment." Riku said and Kairi attempted a smile as she and Mickey walked through the doors to visit Sora. Riku sighed. He had failed...the worlds were falling to Onyx. He knew there was only one thing that needed to be done. He summoned Way to Dawn in his hand and looked at it, it's tip pointing at his heart. He grabbed his long hair behind him and held it together, bracing himself. Then he swiped his Keyblade across and cut straight through his strands of silver hair, the locks falling to the floor. He dismissed his Keyblade and began striding towards the door. His hair was shorter now...slightly shorter than it had been twenty years ago before the islands had been attacked. And as he walked through the door to Sora, he left behind his silver hair on the red carpet, and the old self that was too weak to help his friends.

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Author's Note: Yes, shout your insults at me for my cruelty (which...when you think about it...isn't that cruel...). Regardless, it needed to be done because of events starting next chapter and continuing on to the end. Furthermore, next chapter is something I've been waiting to write since...well, for a very long time and if you've paying attention at all through this story you might know what its about...(I mean, I didn't give enough hints at the opening of this chapter). As of the end of this chapter we are done with Phase II and are moving onto Phase III of this story which lasts until the epilogue. So get ready for the next chapter and onward and review telling me each of these things: 1) The opening and your thoughts, 2) The tour of Crown Fortress and Riku's encounter with Onyx, 3) Sora's newfound injuries and 4) characterizations (yes, Kairi is allowed to be that angry since we don't know what she looks like angry). Please review and Dare to Be Silly.

**P.S. The flames hit Sora that way because Onyx manipulated them to do so...he **_**does**_** have the power of Kingdom Hearts.**


	19. Chapter 18: A Way of Coming Back

**DISCLAIMER: NO! For the umpteenth time I do not own Kingdom Hearts at all. I wish I did but alas do not. So read on, good friends, read on.**

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Chapter 18

A Way of Coming Back

"I want to fight." Those were the first words that came out of Sora's mouth when he woke up the next day. There was a brief moment of silence after this proclamation in which both Riku and Kairi looked at each other. Then they both rounded on Sora.

"Are you crazy?!!!" Kairi screeched at her husband, and fearing for his safety if he continued on like this.

"Sora, you just had your skin seared off and you really think you should be up and fighting so soon?" Riku asked with raised eyebrows and Sora shifted around in his bed with only slight difficulty.

"Look, I don't have time to be sitting around moping for myself, you understand!" Sora yelled, slightly indignant at Kairi and Riku's rebuttals, despite their good intentions. "So what if my skin got seared off...a little bit of it is restored and if I wear a glove then that'll cushion the pain Besides, His Majesty said if I keep taking medicine and come here for a magic checkup three times a day then we could have me fighting at my old skill in no time."

"Sora, I just don't want to see you hurt yourself any more than you already have been." Kairi complained. But Sora merely shook his head and gave her a look. She didn't back down from it but saw in his eyes that flame of determination. He placed his withered hand on the sheets and pushed himself up. They saw him wince, though they figured the pain was actucally much deeper than that. He pushed himself out of bed and stood before them. For that, they were at least grateful his legs had not been affected.

"I was once told nineteen years ago...that if I just did stuff naturally then I would be able to find you two. Well, I think it's the same thing: if I just do things naturally we're sure to beat Onyx!" Sora said and his wife and friend looked at him with absolute resignation. "Look, His Majesty says I need to dull myself to pain and some special training with you two and the king is just what I need. My clothes are patched up and ready to go. So we'll meet in the courtyard in a hour. I have to eat first." Knowing that Sora's mind was beyond changing they turned and left the infirmary as Sora started to work on changing his clothes.

"Well, at least his appetite isn't stifled..." Kairi said rolling her eyes. "Do you think we should have told him?"

"Nah...the news that the remnant members of the Order have decided to fight can wait till later. Sora's so determined I don't think _anything_ will get through that brick head of his." Riku chuckled out and Kairi laughed with him. But Riku quickly sobered up. "But...what Jim Hawkins said to the king does worry me...why would some Order members just vanish, it doesn't make sense." Kairi merely shrugged and told Riku to put it from his mind. Sora soon joined them at the breakfast table where everyone tried to fawn over him and help him eat his simple bowl of cheerios and fruit but Sora kept shoving them away, saying he wanted to try it on his own. They all shouted for joy, when about ten minutes into breakfast Sora announced he could hold a fruit and handle a spoon without hurting himself or being in any pain. A half hour later, Sora, Riku, and Kairi were in the courtyard.

"Are you still sure you want to do this?" Kairi asked her husband concernedly, standing across from him. Sora cicked his neck a bit with a smirk on his face. He held his hand out and summoned Kingdom's Crown to it. He grimaced a bit as he felt the weight of it (despite it being rather light) but smiled brightly soon after.

"Of course I'm sure. See, I'm fit as can be! Now, let's do this!" Sora yelled, holding his Keyblade into his usual battle stance and position. Riku shook his head.

"Your funeral..." Riku muttered and he summoned Way to Dawn into his hand. Kairi put a hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes.

"Take it easy on him, kay?" Kairi asked with pleading in her eyes and he softened with a nod. "He is still healing." And she summoned Destiny's Way to her hand. Sora brought a hand up with another wince and signalled them as if to say "Bring it on". They ran at him, but not too quickly so as to go easy on him. Riku whipped around in a circle to slash at Sora with his Keyblade. Surprisingly, Sora blocked it, and with a grimace, managed to push Riku off of him. He then lifted his leg and kicked Riku in the gut, sending him sprawling while using his keyblade to block Kairi's blow. He easily pushed her off and then as she came back down, he rolled away.

"Come on you guys! Don't treat me like some pushover!" Sora said as he righted himself. Riku got back up with a scowl and his face and looked venemously at Kairi.

"Take it easy, huh? I get the feeling he's taking it easy on us...and he's the cripple!" Riku yelled out and Kairi shrugged while smiling sheepishly.

"Hey, I'm sorry, how am I supposed to know he probably took that hour to get acquainted with his new hands." Kairi said but both of them returned to the action to see Sora running at them. Kairi was the one who blocked his blow.

"Stop talking, more training! I can't fight like I used to if you guys spend more time chatting!" Sora yelled and Riku sneered at him, holding Way to Dawn out in front of him.

"Okay Your Crippledness!!" Riku said and Sora laughed. "Try this!" he let out a massive shot of dark aura at Sora. Sora rolled backwards and swung his Keyblade out, dissolving the blast. He smirked as he now held his own Keyblade out in front of him.

"Now that's more like it! My pain's just _starting_ to go away! I'll be better in no time." Sora declared and so their training began. At first, Riku and Kairi were absolutely flabbergasted as to the reason why Sora was so adamant in his training but they soon discovered why. Some part of it, they figured was payback against Onyx for what he had done to him, but the bigger part of the reason was simply part of who Sora was. Sora was never one to back down from a fight and this was no exception. Of course, to Riku it didn't have to mean that he and Kairi should suffer for it. But suffer they did. Every day they were up at the crack of dawn and began training before they even had breakfast. For that matter, they never even stopped until it was so dark that they started hacking off pieces of topiary accidentally. They only took breaks three times a day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner which were the same times that Sora would take his medical appointments to try and heal his skin a little bit better. They noticed by about the third or fourth day that his chest and back were finally starting to look rather normal...though there were still signs of the incident. The biggest problem with Sora's training was how much he wanted to push himself to become better. While he did become so much better, finally almost surpassing himself on the fifth day, it came at a high cost. Sora would often tire himself out too quickly and would then have to rest for long stretches of time in order to recover his strength. But he made Kairi proud and in fact, everyone else, especially on the sixth day when he sparred with King Mickey and lasted for a full three hours before he finally said he was too tired to go on...and Mickey himself was just as tired as Sora.

There were still other matters being dealt with at the same time however, and as usual they were dealt with at Sora's mealtimes. Once a day he would contact the alliance at Radian Garden and speak to both Leon, who acted as leader in Sora's absence, and Maleficent in regards to the placement of troops. According to Leon on the fifth day, all of the remnant Order members had arrived and each one was being placed in charge of a platoon, although three or four of them actually volunteered to join the Gummi Brigade (as it was often called) because they felt certain Onyx would have back-up waiting in space. Riku was also daily updated on Melissa's condition and it seemed that Aerith's dose of mgic and a good elixir did wonders for her. By the sixth day after their arrival on Disney Castle, she was training with a ferocity one should not have been able to have. And usually people wouldn't have received such a treatment as she did but both Sora, Riku, Mickey, and even Maleficent agreed that it was important for all the top fighters to be in prime condition. However, Melissa was still struggling against all of her wounds.

News also kept coming, though thankfully it was getting increasingly better by the day. Onyx wasn't doing anything, and while this made them a bit worried as the week dragged on, they were grateful they had the time for Sora to get better and to prepare. Of course it was no doubt that he would not have been better had Yen Sid not stopped by once a day and used his own powerful brand of magic on Sora (although even that couldn't fully heal him and he still looked fairly withered). But the three companions also noticed that with these visits he spent a rather large amount of time with the king from which the king would leave looking increasingly disturbed and would often shuffle off to prepare his knights under command of Max. But he never told them anything so it didn't worry them too much. Especially not Sora who was so focused on getting better all other thoughts left his mind.

On the seventh day after Sora woke up, he was found by Kairi to be snoozing in the Lower Courtyard (which was essentially a courtyard of Disney Castle located near the castle gates). Kairi smiled at the sight of her contently sleeping husband and strode over to him. He was sleeping underneath the shade of a tree, although the sun had just come over the castle gates and so there was in fact very little light. Kairi sat down next to him and laid alongside him, nuzzling in his chest. Sora stirred for a moment before opening his eyes a crack.

"Comfortable?" Sora chuckled out and Kairi chuckled with him. She sighed a bit.

"I just wasn't sure when I'd ever be able to do this again...you know." Kairi said with a slight melancholic tone to her voice. "But I guess...well, really I'm just glad you're okay in the end. You put in a lot of work to get to wear you were."

"I couldn't just sit by and act like I'm worthless. Believe it or not, as humble as I am, I think our 'resistance' movement needs me more than anyone else." Sora said with a grin, punctuating the word "resistance" with air quotes. Kairi watched his gloved hands make the motions and said nothing. Sora turned to her. "What's wrong Kairi? Usually when I make comments like those you're always the first to jump up and say I'm anything but modest."

"I'm sorry...just seeing your hand makes me wonder if I'll ever be able to touch it again...Although the glove does add a certain davil-may-care quality to it." Kairi said with a sad smile and Sora just pulled her into a hug without saying anything, chuckling a bit at her comment. Kairi then dug into her pocket and pulled out his wedding band. "I've been keeping this for you since it fell off."

"Thanks." Sora said and he took the ring from her and put it over his glove, which due to the thin skin now fit over it perfectly. It looked a little strange to Kairi but she was still glad to see the ring back on him. Suddenly a shadow was cast over both of them.

"I was starting to worry when Sora didn't come to wake me up but now I see that you were distracting him. Now get up you two lazy bums." Came Riku's voice. They smiled sheepishly and stood up, stretching a bit. Riku summoned Way to Dawn in preparation for more training.

"You know what. I wanna run!" Sora said defiantly and Riku looked at him in exasperation. "Who wants to run? Race y'all to the gates!" Sora then took off without a moment's notice. Riku and Kairi sighed and then went tearing off after him. However, Sora had had such a huge head start on them that before they were even halfway across the courtyard, Sora was almost at the top of the steps leading onto the ramparts. "I win!!" Sora screamed from the top and they all slowed down. Sora smiled gaily at them from the top of the ramparts and then looked out to survey the town at the foot of Disney Castle. But something soon caught his eye. A man was crawling towards the castle, bloodied, bruised and ragged. He had long and ratty brown hair falling from his head and he was most certainly crawling towards the castle gates. Immediately, Sora guessed this wasn't a trick and something was wrong with him. He turned to Riku and Kairi who were approaching the stairs soon. "Riku, open the castle gate and meet me below. Someone is hurt down there!" Riku nodded and Sora jumped off the rampart settling into a glide as he reached the young man who was crawling.

The first thing he noticed upon reaching the main was the bruises, cuts, and burns all over his body. His eyes were practically shut as he continued to crawl. His clothes were hanging from his body in tatters and looked as though they would be completely unwearable again. However, of the shreds that were present on his clothing he noticed that they were predomiantly black however there was shades of brown and green within them. But the strips that there were did not mask the agony he knew the man must be in. It didn't look as his own had been but the man was seeping blood and he knew that if they didn't bring the man to a hospital soon he would die from blood loss. But the one thing about his figure that truly made Sora rush over to the dying man was what he was clutching in his right hand: the Kingdom Keyblade. As soon as Sora saw that he dashed over as quick as possible and clutched the man, pulling him upright.

"Hey, man, are you all right? Can you move?" Sora asked, hoping the man would remain concious enough for them to get him to help in the castle. Sora lifted the man's face up to take a good look at it and gasped. It was impossible...completely impossible that this man would be here of all places. Soras suddenly found himself at a loss for words as the man stirred and blearily looked into Sora eyes through the slits of his own.

"S-Sora?" the man breathed out and it seemed he could last no longer, giving out in Sora's arm at long last. Sora just kneeled there, filled with shock as Riku ran up to him, breathing slightly heavily, Kairi trailing a bit of ways behind him.

"Is he okay?" Riku breathed out and Sora looked up to him. Riku's eyes were filled with confusion at the expression on Sora's face until he looked at the man's face himself and took a step back in shock, bumping into Kairi. Then Kairi came around and looked into the face of the man in Kairi's arms.

And all of them saw the face of Gentai Tanaka.

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_The young man was walking down a corridor that seemed to stretch on limitlessly. It was dark and black inside, always the same, empty and black, no designs, no markings but for the brick. But there was a light at some point of the hallway. He quickly ran towards the light and stumbled into it where he emerged onto a barren plain. There, he saw flames licking the body of an older man, although at this point he was younger. The figure was cremating itself. The young man cringed as he attempted to walk past the body, though he felt a sharp pang in his heart as he did so. Before he had reached the barrier of the barren wasteland he had already broken out into someplace else. This place was different as a number of buildings seemed to be piles of rubbles and dead bodies littered the ground, charred and broken. The young man fought tears that threatened to well up in his eyes. He moved on again, clutching so desperately to the hope that his heart would not crack._

_In the distance there was a small field of flowers and that was where the young man headed to, but before his feet ever touched that field he seemed to be somewhere else: a forest. Lying on the ground there was a young woman, no older than seventeen, lifeless, her chest bleeding. And the man could no longer hold it together any longer. He fell to the ground in pain, wanting someone to take him instead. He curled up into the fetal position and wished for all of it to go away. But iot kept coming: a man was bleeding from his head and stomach, there was a hole where a planet should have been, a castle was obliterated, a town, an island. Then there was light, then there was nothing. The young man stopped shaking and crying and at last managed to stand up. He wiped the tears from his eyes and looked to the body on the ground and nodded at it before moving past it, no longer feeling the pain he had come to associate with it. Now he only had determination, a determination to set things right._

And the young man's eyes shot open. Or, at least, they would have shot open had his eyes not been so puffed up from the delirious pain and cuts. Through the crack of his eyes he was filled with a white bright light and wondered if this was still just a dream or if he had come back, once more to reality. He tried to open his eyes more fully and as he did so, all pain around his eyes managed to cease and he got a good, albeit fuzzy, look at the room around him. This room was completely white and barren of design. He heard a faint beeping next to him and he couldn't figure out for the life of him what it was, although he did notice some wires attached to him. Then he heard voices outside, louder than usual, unless it was just him and he felt outward, sensing three presences outside the room he was in.

"But how is he back?" came a female voice that was slightly agitated and it sounded so familiar to the young man lying on the bed.

"I don't know! We've been over this a million times already Kairi!" came a young male voice, a bit more mature that the man somehow remembered it being. Kairi...he knew that name...didn't he?

"Calm down Sora, we'll just ask him when he wakes up." Came a deeper voice. There again, there was a name he remembered, a name he had called out.

"If he ever wakes up, Riku. He's been out for five days now since we dragged him up here." Came the younger male's voice. Sora...Riku...Kairi...all sounded familiar and yet he could not place why they were there.

"Wh-where...am I?" croaked out Gentai Tanaka's voice from the bed on which he laid. He didn't recognize the place, even as his vision began to become clearer. He didn't expect anyone to answer, believing that no one was in the room to do so. But he did receive an answer. The voice that answered him seemed almost angelic.

"You're in the Radiant Garden Hospital." Came the sweet voice of a woman he barely knew, and didn't remember. His pain was lifted at her voice and for a moment he didn't answer. Mere seconds ago, he had been in agonizing pain on the bed, now he felt as if he could move fluidly again with no pain. Was something wrong with him? He thought to the woman's words and realized two things. Hospital? That explained the beeping noise that was monitoring him, seeing if he was alive and seemed to be doing okay at this point. Radiant Garden? He had thought he had gone to Disney Castle to find the king and he somehow appeared here. But he remembered one more thing: Sora's face. He sat up like a shot, all pain of his body forgotten. The moment he did so, however, he felt a hand on his chest pushing him down. "Lie down, you're not well enough yet."

Gentai's vision finally adjusted and he saw the form of Aerith Gainsborough, her chocolate locks falling around the frame of her face. He shifted in his bed, attempting to shimmy up so that she could not push him down again. The hospital gown he was wearing shifted with him and finally he emerged into an upright position. However, he felt he would not have managed this if Aerith had not been motioning to someone outside the window. She turned back to him and heaved a sigh while shaking her head as she saw that he had moved but she said no more. The door opened and Gentai turned his head and saw the silver-haired Keyblade wielder step into the room and pull the chair away from Gentai's bed, sitting down in it and staring at the now long-haired Gentai Tanaka, who stared straight back at him.

"Riku." Gentai said curtly, his voice coming back to him strongly. Riku looked at him for a moment more as Aerith left the room, closing the door with a snap. Riku shifted, crossing his legs and his arms.

"Gentai Tanaka..." he said heavily and a silence hung in the air. He inclined his head a bit. "Are you okay?"

"If by okay you mean 'still in slight agonizing pain and wanting to barf all over these hospital sheets so as to give the staff more work to do' then yeah, I'd say I'm okay." Gentai said with a chuckle and realized that at first it hurt to laugh but very soon after it didn't.

"Glad to see you have a sense of humor." Riku commented dryly and Gentai once more chuckled back.

"Hey, somebody needs to have one, right?" Gentai stated but Riku didn't laugh. He looked more serious that Gentai had ever seen him.

"Where have you been for the past twelve years, Gentai?" Riku asked. It waasn't even really a question, it was more of a command. Thankfully, that information was just the kind that Gentai Tanaka wanted to reveal.

"That...is a long story." Gentai said, shaking his head a litle bit, his thoughts and purpose returning back to him. He needed to get it all off his chest.

"We have time. Just the two of us." Riku stated and Gentai pursed his lips and nodded a bit. He knew Riku didn't trust him just yet. That was why he wanted it to be the two of them and no one else.

"All right, I'll start with Demora's death." Gentai stated simply. Riku watched Gentai's face for a reaction of his feelings at this statement but Gentai seemed to elicit no response. "I snapped, we all know it. She was the last straw, something I could no longer handle and I wanted revenge on the one person who had made it all happen: the Huntsman. Rage controlled my being, my very essence, and it wrapped my soul up in chains. I took the Huntsman's life out of anger and all semblence of free thought was given over to my rage. I let it control me, let me do horrible things, commit atrocities. Hikaru had always said I would see worse things than he but never had I thought I would be the one committing them." He tacked on some dry laughter to his statement before he continued on.

"You know what followed that. I destroyed Radiant Garden, Twilight Town, your islands. It was at that point I think I finally realized what needed to be done. My anger was losing control over me and I for moments I could think clearly again. I visited Yen Sid, asking him what I should do. That was what I was doing all those days that I held you at Crown Fortress. He told me that I could ease the burden of the worlds if I could eliminate the Heartless and Nobodies. Of course, I had already brought forth the Unbirths and that _really_ made things worse, didn't it? Anyway, Yen Sid said the only way I could do so was by having a Keyblade stab my heart which would cause all the light in my pure heart to eliminate both the Heartless and the Nobodies. I began to make plans. I approached the king, Sora, and Kairi and attempted to trade you for Disney Castle. I knew they would never take my deal and would come after me. I had always planned for them to kill me. But...it didn't work...so I decided to sacrifice myself in the end. I'm guessing you know what happened then."

"Yeah...it worked..." Riku said, nodding his head with a stony look on his face. "But why didn't you come back with us instead of sacrificing yourself?"

"I was insane Riku!" Gentai proclaimed and Riku was surprised that Gentai felt no emotion at this statement. "I believed vengeance and death were the only way. I was too blinded by hate to realize that those people who died gave their lives so that I could continue living and fulfilling my mission. I realize that now, but obviously, too little too late. At that point of my insanity I needed to make the pain go away and I knew that death was the only option for me and the worlds. If I hadn't been as crazy as I was then I would have never considered killing myself and the Heartless and Nobodies would still be running around."

"And yet, because of you, we have the Unbirths to deal with." Riku spat, not in anger but in frustration. Gentai shrugged.

"Life can't always go the way you want it, can it now?" Gentai said and suddenly, Riku seemed to notice the more mature features on Gentai's face. He was older in his build and stature and his face looked worn and tired yet still with a youthful appearance. Riku leaned forward slightly and stared into Gentai's green eyes.

"That still doesn't explain how you got here or what you've been doing for the past twelve years." Riku stated and Gentai gave a quick and fleeting smile.

"And therin lies our solution doesn't it." Gentai said with a raise of his eyebrows. "When I stabbed myself, I thought I would die and yet...I didn't. I ended up somewhere else, the Realm of Nothingness, or so I believe. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe, I was stifled...and yet there was no need to do any of those things. Strangest experience of my life, I'll warrant you that. Suddenly, I was talking to someone, but it sounded like three people. They told me about my light counteracting some kind of darkness that was with me in the Realm of Nothingness and then they told me to go to sleep. Well, Riku, as you know, for months I couldn't sleep...and yet, as I went to sleep there I finally realized why. I couldn't sleep because I had been bogged down with all the guilt and pain of losing Hikaru, of failing Sora and then as I had bit by bit lost more I found I would never be able to sleep again. But when I realized that I was at last able to. I emptied myself of all the pain and all the sadness I had been filled with and I slept." Gentai stopped here and gave another chuckle. "Ironic that even after I was able to sleep the pain didn't go away. I was still alone in that realm, nothing there but myself and my memories...oh, and those memories tortured me. They wracked me with pain to the point I couldn't stand it...yet in the end I found hope in each one of those memories and I was lit with a fire of determination that nothing could stifle.

"I ended up learning that the person I was talking to was the deity...ore deities of the realm of Nothingness...don't ask me any more about that cause I have no idea. And through my talks and torture I learned what my purpose was, what I had to do when I came back. One day...or what I presume to be day as there is no time flow in the Realm of Nothingness, although my body did age as it was foreign material...anyway, one day I was told that the wall between light and darkness had been breached and it was time for me to fulfill my mission. I woke up, finding it was twelve years later, the year 2028. I seemed whole too, my old clothes still upon me and no wounds anywhere. I began my search for my quarry...for the darkness that emerged. I battled with it to the point that it nearly killed me and I felt I had to warn the king...I could wait no longer. So I went to Disney Castle...and I suppose you kind of know what happened there."

Silence followed Gentai's tale and Riku just sat there, slowly absorbing all of his information. The story seemed impossible and yet it still felt right. Riku didn't know what to say although he figured that Gentai was waiting for some sort of judgment on himself. Riku shook his head.

"I don't know what to say..." he breathed out and he stood up, walking over to the glass panes that seperated the room from the rest of the hospital. "You tell me this story, expecting me to believe you, and I wnat to Gentai, I really do...but after all you did."

"Look Riku," Gentai stated and Riku heard the thump of Gentai's feet hitting the floor and Riku was surprised that Gentai was already moving around. "I know it's hard for you to trust me...but you have to. I'm afraid that if you don't...you could just hand the worlds over to Onyx." Riku whipped around and faced Gentai.

"You know about Onyx?!" Riku asked in utter surprise and Gentai nodded with a bit of laughter playing in his face.

"What? You didn't think I was gonna come back and be all like 'Hey, it's twelve years in the future, nothing's changed, let's go kick the darkness' ass!!'" Gentai laughed. "NO! I dug for information as I went and I ended up learning the whole situation...in fact I _think_ I might know a bit more than you guys because otherwise I don't think you'd be sitting on your asses wondering why the hell I'm back." He threw his head back and laughed at Riku's astonished look.

"So what are you saying Gentai?" Riku asked with slight resignation, glaring at his former friend and partner.

"I'm back, Riku. And I'm helping you guys." Gentai stated simply and clearly that was all that he felt needed to be said because he cricked his neck and looked at Riku expectantly. Riku couldn't think of a response, but thankfully he didn't need to as Sora came in the room at that exact moment.

"And why should we trust that you really want to help us, Gentai?" Sora said, his cerulean eyes gazing into Gentai's green ones. Gentai smirked at the Keyblade Master.

"One word...repentance. I still feel remorse over what I've done and this is one way to repay you. Eliminating all of Onyx and his little cronies from the world." Gentai then noticed Sora's arm and gloved hand, as well as the ring. "Your hand...what happened?"

"Somehow I don't think that's any of your business!" Sora snapped, his usual demeanor forgotten in the presence of the Key of the Future.

"Somehow it doesn't matter." Gentai replied back with an amused look on his face. "Asking was merely a formality. I can sense what happened. I can tell that Onyx burned you with his powers, that magic helped restore the skin on some small level and that for the past two weeks you've taken up training to get to your old level and that you've gotten pretty damn good too. I can tell you're married to Kairi and you love her and your...what is it...two children, whose names I don't know, with all of your heart, as well as the kingdom you rule. I can tell that Riku is way too tense and needs to take a vacation because the fall of the Order has stressed him out _way_ too much." The room was thick with silence as Sora and Riku glanced at each other.

"Is that all?" Riku asked calmly in spite of all of Gentai's observations. Gentai laughed loudly and gaily.

"No...but for the sake of your privacy, I won't say anymore." Gentai said with humor etched in every line of his matured face. He flicked his longer hair out from behind him and moved some strands of it away from his eyes. "I can sense the aura and power that lies within each person's heart. I can vaguely read the memories in everyone's heart to discover intentions and such. It's a power that I developed in the Realm of Nothingness. So look, Sora, if you want to just sit here and interrogate me, I don't think you'll get much more out of me."

"You still give me no reason to trust you." Sora said, shaking his head, a stony and shocked look on his face. Gentai laughed yet again with even grater mirth.

"Because at this point your trust means _soooo_ much to me!" Gentai said. "Right now, I think I'm the one _you_ should be trusting. I know stuff and unless you act on it soon, I think you're going to be feeling more pain than a burned and withered hand." Gentai left that subtle threat hanging. Sora just stood there resolutely. Gentai strode up to him. "If you don't want to trust me, fine, but I won't sit around while people die by Onyx's command." Sora shifted uneasily, as did Riku next to him. The door opened a third time and Kairi came in, looking between Riku and Sora until her eyes rested on Gentai who inclined his head towards her. "Kairi."

Kairi wasted no time in striding towards Gentai and giving a right hook across his chin. For a moment they thought she had actually broken his cheekbones as they heard a crack when the fist connected but when Gentai came back up their fears were elated. He moved his chin a bit and everything settled back into place.

"Okay...yeah...I deserved that..." Gentai said unflinchingly. Kairi nodded at him.

"Damn right you did." Kairi said strongly and Gentai's eyes glinted at her in an amused fashion. "You destroyed our home and you stand there like...like..."

"Like a what?" Gentai said, waiting for her statement to come. "Maybe if I give a few examples it would help? Like a bastard? Like an asshole? I can keep going if you want." Gentai said and he seemed on the verge of laughing again. Kairi just gave a frustrated groan but she realized, like the other two in the room, that they needed Gentai's help. "So have we reached some sort of agreement then?" Sora stepped forward.

"I realize you're different Gentai, and for now I'll trust you, but how do we know that when people start dying you won't snap again?" Sora said and Gentai's face finally lost all the laughter from it. He looked into each of their eyes before answering.

"I don't think the dead care about vengeance...and nor do I anymore." Gentai satated. There was a moment in which nobody said anything but then all three nodded, accepting his answer, though all of them felt he would still have to prove himself. "Great, what time of day is it?"

"Almost dawn." Riku answered. "We've been keeping watch on you since you came back five days ago."

"Crap! I've been out five days! Not good!" Gentai screamed out frsutratedly.

"Why are you worrying?" Kairi said with a confused expression on her face. "Onyx hasn't done anything horrendous the past few days."

"Hasn't done...are you guys really being this naive?" Gentai said exasperatedly. "This is the man who very nearly took down the entire Order on his own and you think he's doing nothing?! Oh, he's been up to something. He's been attempting to rendezvous with what would have once been his highest lieutenant if they hadn't been destroyed. I've been trying to block off that option and destroy him but if I've been out for five days it's too late for that, they've probably regrouped." Everyone was now extremely confused at Gentai's proclamation as he cricked his neck a bit and cracked his knuckles. "We have to take the fight to him."

"And who might this lieutenant be?" Sora asked with arched eyebrows. Gentai turned and faced him squarely.

"The Horned King of Prydain."

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Author's Note: Wow! I feel I outdid myself with this chapter. Yep, Gentai is back which seemed kind of obvious from Riku's dreams and especially a scene in Chapter 8 which was one of the many duels betwen Gentai and the Horned King. Yes, you now know that both are back and how Gentai came back (and who the deities of the Realm of Nothingness are). As for the Horned King's return...it may or may not be explained next chapter but it will be explained by the end of the story. Also, next chapter is "The Battle of Prydain" which will be my first foray into an attempt to _**really**_** write a big scene battle. Now, what I'd like you all to review on: 1) Sora's training 2) Gentai's return **_**and**_** his explanation and 3) Gentai's character...which I loved writing and how it may or may not be different from the old one...oh, and 4) Kairi punching Gentai. I think that's all so, Dare to Be Silly.**


	20. Chapter 19: The Battle of Prydain

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts at all and nor do I own The Chronicles of Prydain in any way shape or form. I do own what comes in this chapter but the only characters I own are my original ones.**

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Chapter 19

The Battle of Prydain

The night sky in Prydain as the night started to arch towards dawn seemed still, silent, and peaceful. But in the north it was anything but that. Standing deep in the shadows of the night, remaining unnoticed until dawn's first rays of light were to hit it was the massive and hulking fortress of Annuvin, rebuilt from its destruction twelve years ago in the aftermath of the Black Cauldron. Inside it were two figures, one dressed in his black leather clothing, who was pacing around touching the various objects he had helped restored and another man wearing a blood red cloak and a highly ornate mask that concealed the features of his face to all who could see. The Horned King was certainly an ominous presence especially with the alterations that had been made to his mask twelve years ago. It was scarred and whithered much like the hands of the man who had done it to him, the man upon whom he wanted revenge.

"You're a very difficult man to get ahold of." Onyx said, stopping in his inspection of the throne room of Annuvin. "Is there any particular reason why?" The Horned King merely glanced at him for a moment.

"I ran into some difficulties upon emergence from the Realm of Nothingness." The Horned King stated simply, not daring to say more for Onyx might find his true intentions. "It is of no importance. Whatever complications arose, they have been promptly eliminated. Yet I am not so surprised that you did not search for me. No doubt you felt I was below your level." It was a simple statement that made Onyx turn and look at him with probing eyes. Neither of the two said anything and for a moment, Onyx's right hand twitched indicating that he might yet run the Horned King through with his blade. But it was not time and so he merely strode away and sat down in a chair, staring at the king. Beneath his mask the Horned King smiled. Of course, Onyx could not run the risk of losing him just yet...but both knew their place. The Horned King understood that he was just a pawn of Onyx's as much as Onyx understood that the Horned King wanted to usurp him. Onyx shifted around a bit in his chair.

"You know I can't believe I once helped you defend this heap of rubble." Onyx said antagonizingly and the Horned King once more said nothing. He was a man of little words. The less words the better. Strike fear with your gaze, not your words and you need not fear anything. "So, what exactly happened twelve years ago?" The tone seemed conversational but the Horned King knew Onyx was lusting for information like a dog salivates when meat is placed in front of it. Taking his time, the Horned King strode over to his throne and sat down upon it.

"Twelve years ago, Sora and his band of comrades paid Prydain a visit. At the time I was searching for the Black Cauldron and I felt that they should not interfere. So I locked all but Sora away in the dungeon that you and some of your men so happily enforced. It failed. They escaped and Sora with them. I thought they would lead me to the Black Cauldron and they did. I took it for myself and began to use my Cauldron Born to rule Prydain. Unfortunately, your leader, Edge was it? Yes, he broke free and stopped the Cauldron's power. I, enraged, attempted to cast Sora to its depths and received these." He pointed to the withered mask that rested on his face and Onyx's eyes raised up as far as they could go. "He escaped and the Black Cauldron pulled me in. Thankfully, so far as I had known, the darkness in my heart kept me alive. I perished by way of a dark object and so I could live again."

Onyx sat there, nodding his head in understanding. The theory was most intriguing and perhaps provided a way in which they might bring back the dearkness, and by so doing, the Heartless and the Nobodies. Onyx stood up from his chair and began to resume his pacing, his mind racing with the possibilites that the Horned King's return brought. But still, there was a small gap in Onyx's mind that he needed satisfied.

"And what exactly were you planning on doing once you had summoned the Cauldron Born...assuming of course that they had gotten through the gate of the castle?" Onyx asked, a flame of malice alight within his eyes. The Horned King observed Onyx a moment before asking.

"I planned to use the Cauldron Born to overrun Prydain, cast down Maleficent and rule the worlds in her place." The Horned King answered, surprisingly with a hint of amusement which made Onyx look at him. Surely the man realized the implications he had just made. he had been so forward about it...so open...and that was a problem. Onyx was no mind reader, even with the powers of Kingdom Hearts, but he knew that he needed to do something soon.

"Then you must realize that the witch and her allies have all joined Sora's side in this war." Onyx said, more of a statement than a question. The Horned King cocked his head at this new development but remained completely unfazed by it.

"An interesting observation but nothing more than that. Compared to my powers, Maleficent seems as if all she could do was simple magic tricks." The Horned King said with malice and Onyx cast him a cold smile. "It doesn't matter what the witch is up to. Prydain will be taken tomorrow as other worlds have been and soon Sora will fall and revenge shall be mine."

"And how exactly do you propose we take Prydain?" Onyx said, at last ceasing his pacing near a window and looking out over the now green expanse that was Prydain. "I have a few officers here and we can all easily summon the Unbirths but that wouldn't be enough, would it?" It seemed almost as if Onyx was asking the Horned King for a suggestion but the Horned King didn't answer before Onyx pushed on. "No...I have just the right idea...I am after all, the Key of Darkness, or so they call me." And Onyx rose his hand into the air, now brimming with a blood red hue.

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Gentai glanced around the room that had been given to him by Sora and Kairi. It seemed to be a bit more comfortable than the room in the hospital but Gentai knew that he had no time whatsoever to enjoy these new comforts. He reached down and picked up the white gloves on the table. The kind of design on the clothes was interesting and Gentai thought it funny that it respresented him so well. He had asked the fairies to create new clothes which were actually delivered to his room. His clothes in essence were a hybridization of black and white. The primary color was white, much like the first outfit he ever wore on his journey but that was where the similarities ended. From there on there were black flames on the design of the shirt and it ironically looked extremely similar to Pale Twilight, the Keyblade he could no longer summon. Regardless of all these thoughts, Gentai raised his hand and fitted the glove on his hand. It fit perfectly, as they always did, his fingers popping out of the openings. He flexed his fingers as it fit on him and smirked at the look on him.

Then he heard a knock on the door. He turned around and saw Riku leaning against the doorframe. He gave the thirty-five year old a short nod and Riku strode into the room. For a moment, nothing was said as Gentai stretched out in his new clothes. Then he summoned the Kingdom Key to his hand and glanced at its silver and gold presence. Riku shifted around a bit and at last decided to speak up.

"The Kingdom Key...huh?" Riku said with a chuckle and he shook his head. Gentai shrugged and dismissed his Keyblade.

"I can't summon Pale Twilight anymore. I don't know why. I just can't." Gentai said and Riku thought he heard a hint of sadness in his voice. So Riku thought he should tell Gentai about the fate of his Keyblade.

"That may be because it belongs to someone else." Riku stated and Gentai looked at him with an arched eyebrow. "My old apprentice Sikaru wields it now. He betrayed us." Gentai nodded in understanding before he gave a sharp laugh.

"Well, then that's one person you won't have to worry about." Gentai said and for a moment he turned away from Riku. But Riku wasn't finished with the Key of the Future just yet.

"Gentai, I need to know, beyond any shadow of a doubt that I can trust you." Riku said and Gentai froze in his place. He turned to Riku with a set look on his face, and began striding up to him.

"What do you want me to do Riku? Get down on my knees and beg you? Cause I don't think that'll help." Gentai said. "Look, Demora's dying words were to make these worlds a better place and that's what I'm gonna do. Now, I may have been a loose cannon with nothing to lose but I know that the only way I can fulfill Demora's dying wishes is if I join you guys because you're the only ones who can make this world better."

"That's fine but-" Riku began, not convinced of Gentai's trustworthiness by that statement. But Gentai didn't give him any time.

"Look in my eyes Riku and tell me what you see. Tell me if you can trust me from that." Gentai stated and Riku had no choice but to do. And so, for a moment, blue eyes stared into Gentai's green and Riku knew what had to be done from that moment.

"Part of me sees a young fifteen year old boy who didn't know which end of the Keyblade went into the Heartless..." Riku chuckled out and Gentai chuckled with him. But then the look on Riku's face became graver and more stern. "And the other part of me sees a twenty-eight year old man who's so determined to make these worlds better and knows the only way in which to do so." Gentai nodded, satisfied with what Riku said and he pulled his gaze away. "I trust you Gentai."

"Good." Gentai stated simply and that was all that needed to be stated. He cricked his neck a bit. "Now, let's meet up with Sora. It wouldn't do to keep him waiting." Riku laughed at that statement and the two left the room. Riku led Gentai along the hallways to the entrance hall of the castle at Radiant Garden where Sora and Kairi were waiting rather impatiently.

"About time, what took you so long?" Sora snapped, a little harsher than usual, no doubt influenced by the presence of Gentai in the room.

"Oh, it was me." Gentai said in defense of Riku. Sora seemed on the verge of another angry comment but gentai rolled on ahead with his own. "You see I got kind a hungry and they say you should never fight on an empty stomach...might get cramps. Anyway...did you let the forces know that they should be on standby?"

"Yeah..." Sora said tentatively, still in shock over Gentai's witty comment and fast recovery. "Leon, Maleficent and the king have a few platoons ready to ship over to Prydain should I contact them."

"Awesome! Let's get rolling then." Gentai said and he summoned his Keyblade. All three looked at him in a confused manner.

"Umm...are you sure about this?" Kairi said. "We only know a few people on Prydain and there's no way we could build an army." Gentai laughed at this statement.

"Oh come on. I've been fighting the Horned King for almost a month now. Do you really think I didn't set up a contingent plan? Everything's worked out, just follow my lead." With that, Gentai held his Keyblade in front of him and a beam of light shot out, creating a portal to Prydain. He ushered the other three through the portal before at last following himself. When they at last emerged they found themselves in a beautiful area with trees and grassy knolls, and plenty of cottages surrounding the area. Gentai breathed in the fresh air in the area. "Caer Dallben." Sora and Kairi looked at each other...they knew that name. But before they could stop to discuss it, Gentai had already set off. Riku gave the two of them a smile and all three of them followed Gentai to a rather large cottage where gentai knocked on the door. An elderly man answered the door.

"Gentai, wonderful to see you. Come in." the old man said and gentai gave a quick smile and a nod.

"I've brought guests." Gentai said and inidcated to Sora, Riku, and Kairi standing behind him. The old man's face brightened considerably and he let all four of them into the house. Sora supposed that this old man was the Dallben that edge had mentioned so long ago. They didn't have a word to say to him and instead followed Gentai into a rather large room with a big table in the middle of it. The first thing that all of them noticed upon entrance was a taller man with gray hair and green eyes. He looked up from the documents he had been poring over to take a look at the new arrivals in the room. Before he could move or say a word however, two excited voices cut through the silence in the air.

"Sora! Kairi!" yelled the voices and suddenly two figures beseiged the married couple. Sora and Kairi immediately recognized them as, although older, Taran and Eilonwy. The two seemed happy upon first glance although both could tell that the two still seemed extremely tired. Then another excited voice entered.

"Oh yay! Gurgi is happy to see his friends!" yelled the shaggy furball that was Gurgi, as he jumped onto Sora and began climbing all over Sora searching for "munchings and crunchings".

"It's good to see you too, Gurgi." Sora laughed and finally managed to extricate himself from the furball. At this stage, the older man had made his way over to Sora, holding out a hand. Sora looked at him for a moment, taking his hand with a look that asked who he was.

"Gwydion, the new High King of Prydain." The man, Gwydion said and Sora nodded his head in comprehension. "And you must be Sora, Riku, and Kairi...yes, Gentai, Taran and Eilonwy have told me quite a bit about the three of you."

"Gwydion...time for chit chat later, what's the status report?" Gentai asked, cutting through the rest of the introductions. Gwydion moved back to the document he had been scanning earlier which turned out to be a rather old and ancient map of Prydain. The four off-worlders gathered around the table and around the map with it. Once Gwydion saw that all of them were listening he began to give his report.

"The Horned King is back and he's residing in Annuvin. It was rebuilt last night...or so my scouts say. And he's amassing an army of Unbirths and Keyblade wielders...or so we know. It's quite an unsettling amount. Their first unit was dispatched to attack Fflewdur in the morning so it's very doubtful he'll be able to make it here. The next unit was just dispatched and is making it's way to Caer Dathyl, our seat of power, as we speak. The rest of the army is currently stationary around Annuvin but I get the feeling they'll start moving this way soon." Gwydion let the room settle into silence at his statement. Gentai looked pensive for a moment but quickly recovered.

"They must be waiting for something." Gentai said, reasoning out the waiting army. "We have no time to waste. Sora, contact Leon and all the others. Tell them to get over here quick and land them in this field here. Make sure that we get some Keyblade wielders here too..." Gentai pointed at a spot on the map not too far from Annuvin but not to close. "We'll join them there, you can contact them once we're there. Gwydion I need you to move your men over to that same spot." Gwydion nodded and rolled up the map. Gentai then jerked his head to the other three and they nodded at him. With a quick flick of their Keyblades, they then entered the portal and appeared in the exact area Gentai had inicated on the map. Sora quickly ran off to contact Leon while Gentai sat down and began extending his aura outward.

"Gentai...what are you doing?" Riku asked in utter bewilderment. Gentai quickly shushed him and sat there with his eyes closed. He sat that way for about five minutes before his eyes snapped open and he stood up.

"I sense the Horned King...but there's someone else there...someone just as dark." Gentai said with a scowl on his face and Riku instantly knew exactly who Gentai was talking about.

"Onyx..." Riku growled out and Gentai turned away from Riku, closing his eyes once again. At last, Sora returned from where he had been contacting the forces in Radiant Garden. Riku, now in a bad mood due to Onyx's presence, immediately turned on Sora. "And where have you been?"

"Uhh...contacting the forces. They're heading over right now." Sora said, slightly defensively from Riku's tone and Riku shook his anger from his system.

"Really, what took you so long?" Riku said and Sora adopted a scowl on his face, glaring at his best friend while Kairi stood there, looking at them hopelessly.

"Oh, you know, I went to go get a cup of coffee!" Sora said with a bit of antagonization and Riku chuckled at the comment.

"Guys?" Gentai's voice called out from where he was standing but both of the other Keyblade wielders completely ignored him.

"Really did you get a recepit?" Riku asked, his tone now fully switched from angry to joking. Sora immediately picked up on it and continued on with the good-natured argument.

"Yeah, I did! Would you like to see it?!" Sora yelled out and Riku waved his arms in front of him. But before their argument could continue further, Gentai butted in.

"GUYS?!"

"WHAT?!" Sora and Riku yelled and Gentai gave the both of them a glare of death.

"You might want to take a look at this." Gentai said and indicated to a spot over the hill they were next to. All four of them ran to the crest of the hill and looked over to Annuvin, which they currently had a plain view of. However, it was not Annuvin which Gentai was indicating but instead the army that surrounded it. It was growing bigger, and not with ranks of Unbirths but scores of skeletons carrying swords and shields and all other manner of weapons...many of them were even carrying a demented form of Keyblade. Sora and Kairi gasped and immediately blurted out exactly what they were witnessing below them: the Cauldron Born had somehow been brought back and not a single person on the hill doubted that it was Onyx who had done it.

"Great...now we have to face deathless warriors as well as everything else." Gentai said with a sigh as he rubbed his temple. "All right, that's not too bad." Everyone gave him a look of utter isbelief and he chuckled at the statement. "Hey, we get Onyx off the world, they'll crumble down. Something like this must take a close radius of concentration to control." The other three looked at each other and nodded in agreement. Sora was the first one to speak up however.

"We have to stop them here regardless. We don't win here then it could be the beginning of the end." Sora said and everyone agreed with this statement. "After all, we wouldn't any of our worlds to end up like Prydain did last time we were here."

"That's true." Kairi piped up. "We can't afford to lose anymore." Kairi clenched a fist before she turned to Sora with worry in her eyes. "Did you ask-"

"Don't worry, Gentai and Demora are fine. Leon told me that they're with Olette." Sora said with a smile and Kairi smiled back, happy that her sudden fear for her children had been banished. But Gentai looked at them suddenly and with absolute confusion. Sora and Kairi saw this and began laughing. "That's right, we hadn't told you. We have twins and we named them after you and Demora." Gentai looked for a moment as if the wind had been taken out of him.

"Yeah...okay...can I ask you one question?" Gentai said and the two looked at him expectantly. Gentai sucked in some air. "ARE YOU CRAZY?!!! Naming your kid after me...geez..." Gentai rolled his eyes and began to stride slightly away from the group while Riku burst out into uncontrollable laughter at the statement. Sora and Kairi just glared at him before a bright white light opened up and Melissa stepped out of it.

"Riku, they said we were gathering. The others are on their way now. I'd approximate to an hour, maybe hour an a half to get here at maximum speed." Melissa stated as soon as she saw the silver haired wielder. Riku nodded in acceptance of the information and looked her over. She looked almost as healthy as she had before her fight with Onyx but she was still a little broken. Gentai soon ambled back over with a scrutinizing look on his face as if pondering what he was going to do.

"All right guys, if they're that close to getting here we need to come up with a battle plan, like, now." Gentai said and suddenly Melissa snapped a look to him, seeing this young man for the first time. She took in his whole appearance from his long black hair to his perfectly toned body and his green eyes. Surprisingly, Melissa actually thought for a moment that the young man was kind of sexy. But another thought was running foremost through her mind.

"Uhh...who's the new guy?" Melissa asked all three of them and Riku chuckled, opting for himself to answer.

"Melissa Ardintous, this is Gentai Tanaka. Gentai, this is Melissa." Riku stated and Gentai held out his hand for Melissa to shake but Melissa merely stood there in absolute shock. She couldn't move any part of her body for the shock permeating it. Gentai began to look at her in a confused manner and she finally got her lips moving.

"This is Gentai Tanaka?!!" Melissa blurted out and Gentai shot a new glare in Riku's direction as if asking how this girl he'd never met would possibly know his name.

"After you died, well, there became a thing known as the Tragic Tale of Gentai Tanaka." Riku answered with a shrug and Gentai nodded his head at yet another piece of information they had decided to not tell him about these times. Gentai lowered his hand and scowled a bit while Melissa bit her lip. The boy she thought was weak was standing right before him but looking nothing like she imagined him. He looked strong, and rugged and downright sexy to her. She shook her and head and with all those thoughts about the Key of the Future. The five members in the field then split up as they waited for the troops to arrive. It was only an hour later that a large number of Gummi Ships were seen touching down on the field. When the ship with Leon upon it opened, all five of the Keyblade wielders immediately came on board.

"Everyone's ready to go Sora, just give them the word." Leon said as they strode back to a meeting room in the ship. The five Keyblade wielders soon entered, Sora giving brief instructions to Leon to assemble the army. Leon left and the five stood around a table. Immediately, Sora went into a battle strategy. It was fairly simple but seemed ultimately effective. His Majesty would be arriving soon and would take his troops as a last line of defense to protect Caer Dallben while the rest would lead an assault on Annuvin. Riku and Gwydion would take up the rear with their own platoons while Melissa would take the front. Sora and Gentai would take either sides and in the middle of those four platoons would be the one led by Kairi. The plan was to effectively push the forces into Annuvin where they would actually stand a better chance due to the enclosed space. Before entering the castle, which essentially meant when they had grouped the enemy in one space, the five leaders would meet up and lead their platoons in one large group to swamp the castle.

"Any questions?" Sora asked, glancing around at all four of the other members at the table. Most of them nodded, but Gentai was the only one to speak.

"Crystal clear, let's party." Gentai said before whipping around and heading to the door out of the meeting room. As he reached the threshold and the door opened Gentai whipped back around. "Oh, and you guys, I've been thinking...once we kick Onyx's ass, let's just change it to the Tale of Gentai Tanaka...cause I'm back baby!" With that he quickly left the room, Melissa following in bewilderment immediately afterward. Sora, Riku, and Kairi were left staring at the spot where Gentai had left.

"Is it just me...or does he seem _really_ different?" Sora asked and Riku nodded his head.

"Nope...it's not just you. He is really different." Riku said in utter amazement at Gentai's earlier comment. Sora adopted a thoughful look on his face for a moment.

"It must be the hair." Sora mused and Riku agreed with him. Kairi looked at them in true disbelief before smacking them both on the back of their heads and leading the three out of the Gummi Ship. Thankfully the situation outside was rathe rorganized other than a bout of mass chaos. According to Leon, only about a fifth of the army was actually here and it was already looking fairly large. It, of course, helped that the Radiant Garden army was so huge. The three friends quickly hugged each other, Sora and kairi sharing a chaste kiss before they joined their respective platoons. Sora quickly activated his communicator to contact Melissa. before he did, he received a message that Mickey had arrvied a Caer Dallben and that they could move at any time. That was all Sora needed to tell Melissa to start moving the army forward.

At first the pace was rather slow but when they were about half a mile away from the entrance to Annuvin, the Horned King's army began moving forward to engage them in combat. Quickly, Sora informed his men of the Cauldron Born and to be extremely careful. Not long after this, their forces clashed in battle. Melissa's platoon met them first but many of the opponents filtered out to come charging at the side platoons. Sora quickly summoned his Keyblade and ducked the first blow from a nearby Cauldron Born. Without a second thought he sent a roaring flame out at the Cauldron Born, engulfing it in flames. However, the creature seemed unfazed by it and continued to swing it's sword at Sora. Sora blocked a blow and used his legs to kick the Cauldron Born over before quickly using his Keyblade to encase it in a block of ice, causing it to stop its advance. Sora had no more time to think however as an Unbirth quickly leapt at him. he spun around and cleaved his way through it in an instant. He signaled his troops to attempt to advance forward.

For the most part they seemed to be doing very well. Here and there however, they saw a soldier fall in the battle but Sora was determined to press on. Occasionally, he would recevie messages stating that they were clipping forward at a very good speed. Riku's platoon had already broken the threshold of where Melissa herself had begun, which meant that they were pushing the enemy back; the gates of Annuvin were in sight. Sora himself was doing fairly well too and was quite proud of himself for fighting so hard without even tiring as of yet. But just before he was about to tell his toops to hem the enemy in a join up with the other platoons, one of the Keyblade-wielding Cauldron Born attacked. It attacked with such ferocity that Sora almost buckled under the force of it, but through sheer determination, Sora managed to push the Cauldron Born off.

Sora attempted to freeze it like he had the previous one but this Cauldron Born was smarter and used its Keyblade to bring flames around its body and destroy the ice casing that was forming around it. Sora grimaced at this and instead ran at the Cauldron Born screaming. At first the creature didn't react but as Sora brought his blade down the Cauldron Born blocked it easily and spun Sora off of it. Sora landed on the ground hard as the Cauldron Born came at him, keyblade arching down towards Sora. Sora rolled out of the way and the Keyblade stuck in the ground. He swung his own Keyblade at the Cauldron Born's legs and the Cauldron Born fell. Sora flipped himself up but was surprised to see that the creature was right behind him. They both ran at each other and locked blades. For a while there it seemed as if they were in suspended animation but then Sora's hand started to weaken from the strength his opponent was exerting. He was about to lose and the punishment would be death. Then an ice casing surrounded the Cauldron Born and it fell to the groun. Sora looked up and saw gentai standing there with a smirk on his face. Sora nodded at the young boy and the two exchanged a high five.

"I guess there's no reason I can't trust ya now. You just saved my life." Sora chuckled out to the young man and Gentai shrugged. Suddenly a throng of Unbirths surrounded them and the Keyblade Master and the Key of the Future stood back to back with one another. They exchanged no words but sudenly leapt into the fray, hacking and slashing at all of the myriad Unbirths that surrounded them. Sora smiled as the two of them effectively wiped the floor with the opposition. Clearly, Onyx hadn't been expecting these two skilled members here, taking down his army. When at last that throng of Unbirths had been cleared away, the two noticed Riku and Kairi deep in battle with two seperate Keyblade wielders on Onyx's side. They shot looks to one another and set off in that direction.

Riku himself let off a shot of Dark Aura which finally found its mark and the Keyblade wielder tumbled over backward before Riku showed no mercy and stabbed his keyblade through his gut. Kairi was a little less fortunate, having never really killed anybody with the stab of her Keyblade she hesitated on the end which gave the man more than enough time to trip her up. but before he could make a move, Gentai chucked his Keyblade at the man where it became impaled upon his stomach. He fell over dead and Gentai summoned his Keyblade back to his hand. Sora quickly helped Kairi back up. Riku and Kairi gave them quick status reports about their platoons but gentai was the only one who seemed to notice that something was amiss.

"Where's that girl? Melissa?" Gentai asked with concern and the three looked at him, al wondering why indeed she wasn't here. Gentai quickly closed his eyes and extended his aura to Annuvin. He sensed the presence of the Horned King and Onyx but there was a thrid presence in the castle, making its way towards where the other two were. Gentai knew that the four of them together would never make it in time. There was only one choice. Without a word to the others he quickly ran in the direction of Annuvin, cutting down anything in his path.

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Onyx and the Horned King were staying a fair distance away from the sight of the battlefield, not wanting to interfere unless absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, it seemed for a moment that this was going to be neccessary as their forces were quickly being pushed back into Annuvin which spelled certain doom for Onyx and all his men at this moment. The Horned King however seemed particularly calm about the whole ordeal, as if he actually expected this to happen. It was either that or perhaps he noticed something that Onyx himself did not. Then the both of them heard footsteps pounding up the stairs to the throne room and they both turned to face the door which soon blasted open, Melissa standing within the frame. Onyx cocked his head at her, surprised to see her standing there.

"Melissa...what a pleasant surprise..." Onyx snarled out. He knew his sister was a challenge, at least last time, but now she looked weaker, still recovering from their previous bout. "Have you come to offer your surrender?"

"Oh, I doubt it. I'll take you down this time Donald." Melissa spat and Onyx cringed at his original name being used. "Then, Sora and the others will be up here shortly to pick up the pieces." Onyx's pupils dialated...Sora was fighting again?! He had believed that the Keyblade Master had given up all hope of winning this battle or of even fighting it. But his own sister was telling him that Sora was already fighting again.

"Oh, I seriously doubt that." Onyx gave his sister a smirk and she let out a roar of rage. She lunged at him and he quickly summoned his Keyblade and blocked the blow, kicking her straight in the stomach and sending her flying backwards. She still landed on her feet however and was merely pushed back. Onyx quickly decided that an indirect approach would be best for this situation. He waved the hand that wasn't holding his Keyblade and a tiny black orb flew straight at Melissa. She held out her Keyblade and blocked the orb while Onyx spread his hands farther and farther apart. As he did so, the orb that was resting on Melissa's keyblade grew bigger and bigger, with more intense power. But she wasn't backing down and was about to throw it off. Then Onyx clapped his hands together and the orb imploded, sending Melissa sprawling to the floor, where she lay on the ground breathing heavily. Onyx strode over to her and held his Keyblade above her chest. "And to believe I thought you were a worthy opponent sister. Ah well, as much as it pains me to do this." And he plunged his Keyblade down.

But then another blade came out of nowhere and knocked his own away. Then a leg shot out of nowhere as well and nailed him in the stomach, sending Onyx flying backward. But Onyx still managed to land gracefully and when he looked up he saw a raven-haired wielder with long hair holding the Kingdom Key out at him and standing in front of his fallen sister. However, it was strange. Onyx almost knew what every member of the previous Order looked like but not once had he seen this man. he was jerked out of his reverie by the voice of his sister.

"You saved me..." Melissa beathed out and the man turned towards her.

"You would have done the same." The man said resolutely before facing Onyx with a smirk on his face. "So you're the guy that's been causing everybody so many problems, huh?" Onyx looked taken aback that this man was addressing him, but the young man's attention already seemed to have shifted to the Horned King. "Hey Horny, long time, no see. I see you've been doing well but you should really consider a face lift. But man oh man, you have no idea how much fun it is to say your name like that." Onyx could tell that the Horned King was scowling underneath that mask as the young man addressed him that way and, truth be told, he was getting on his nerves as well.

"Who are you?" Onyx growled out and the man turned to look at him. But instead of him answering him, it was the Horned King.

"This is Gentai Tanaka." The Horned King said and everything in the room seemed to freeze for a moment before anger rushed through every vein of Onyx's body. He rounded on the Horned King, seething.

"Gentai Tanaka?!! The Key of the Future?!! He returned and you didn't tell me!" Onyx seethed out and the Horned King merely looked at him.

"I didn't think it neccessary."

"Didn't think it neccessary?!! That man damn near defeated Sora!" Onyx roared brandishing his hands in Gentai's direction who was watching the exchange with an amused expression. "He is a threat."

"If he's so much of a threat then how is it that I left him for dead after our last encounter?" the Horned King mused to Onyx who was shaking and quaking with absolute anger.

"Then why am I still here?" Gentai called out, interrupting the villain's quarrel. "Now, I suggest you stop fighting or else I'll just get rid of you guys right now."

"And would you really want to do that?" Onyx asked, regaining some of his composure. "After all Gentai Tanaka, you're just like us aren't you. On this side of darkness. You've done evil things: blowing up a castle, a town, killing people. You belong with us, so why not join us?" Onyx looked straight at Gentai who for a moment seemed to be in conflict of his emotions. "Come now, is this really so difficult. Join us and we can give you everything."

"You're right..." Gentai said in a soft voice and he stared down at his toes as Melissa began to look at him in disbelief. Never had she thought that the young man in front of her would once again tread the path in his own tale. But she didn't have the horrors that Gentai had in his own past. The horrors that rushed through him: Hikaru's death, Agradar's razing, Demora's death, the destruction of Pelusa, of Radiant Garden, what he had done to Riku. It brought a single tear to his eye. "You're right...I have done horrible things." Onyx held out a hand to Gentai, offering for him to accept it when gentai snapped his look up back onto Onyx. "But not anymore."

With a battle cry, Gentai leapt at Onyx. Onyx barely had any time to react before Gentai brought his blade down and Onyx was forced backwards. But Gentai didn't let up the assault, pushing forward with continual strokes from his keyblade and Onyx grimaced as he blocked each one. he had never expected this young man to be so powerful. He flipped backward to avoid the next blow and cried out his Ultima spell. Gentai smirked and readied his Keyblade. What happened next seemed impossible: Gentai's hands moved at such an incredible speed they appeared a blur as they blocked practically every shot of the spell thrown at him. Onyx started despairing at this event and quickly fired off a similar orb of energy that he had flung at his sister towards Gentai. Gentai, too, blocked it and Onyx began expanding it. he thought Gentai was going to fall for the same trick as Melissa but just as he imploded it, Gentai flung it off and it exploded in midair, the shockwave radiating through Annuvin, cauding it to shudder a little. Gentai once more leapt at Onyx who blocked the blow and leapt back.

"You take care of this!" he yelled at the Horned King and created a portal behind him, disappearing into it. Gentai straightened himself and faced the Horned King.

"Well, it's just you and me now Horny." Gentai said with a snicker and the Horned King moved slowly forward. In his hand appeared a nimbus of black lightning from which sprang a blackened sword that appeared in the Horned King's hand. Gentai cocked his head towards it and then brandished his Keyblade out in front of himself. The Horned King wasted no time in sending a barrage of fireballs Gentai's way. gentai flipped backward and sent a multitude of cie shards, flinging them quickly at the fireballs. They met each other in mid air and created an explosion. Quickly, Gentai hurled bolts of lightning at the Horned King who quickly raised his sword to reflect the bolts back and Gentai raised his Keyblade to do the same. The intense relfection soon caused a ripping explosion that threw them both bacl and cracked some of the pillars in the room.

Gentai was up first and he swung his Keyblade in a wide arc, sending an intense ribbon of light hurtling at the Horned King. The Horned King quickly erected a large reflect shield around him that began absorbing the light. he eventually broke it off with a mighty cry and the light was smashed into fragments that sent yet another shockwave through the palace. The Horned King extended his gnarled hand in a slashing fashion towards Gentai and orbs of darkness shot towards him. Gentai sent his own fireballs towardsw the orbs and they collided, providing Gentai with enough time to whip his Keyblade towards the Horned King, sending spires of Earth in his direction. But the force of magical energy was so high that the foundations of the castle began to shake. Using his sword, the Horned King broke through the spires only to find Gentai coming at him with his keyblade. He blocked it and thre the Key of the Future off. Gentai didn't miss a beat.

He dove into his memory and suddenly his kingdom Key turned completely white and into the shape of the Oathkeeper Keychain while in his left hand appeared the black surface of the Oblivion Keychain. Gentai spun them around and then held them to bear with a smirk. The Horned King grimaced and then rushed to meet Gentai in battle. Their first collision caused the throne room to once again shake and it was all Melissa could do to try and stand up, her eyes transfixed on the battle unfolding before her. At that moment, yet another quake ripped through the room and then Sora, Riku, and Kairi appeared, staring at the battle as well. Riku was the first to run up to her.

"Are you okay?" Riku asked her and she nodded numbly, watching the battle before her.

"What _is_ he?" Melissa breathed out and everybody shook their heads at a loss for words as the Horned King and Gentai's battle continued. Gentai seemed to almost have the advantage, whipping around his two Keyblades at the speed of light, bouncing away from everyone of the Horned King's magical attacks. But all the observers in the room realized their battle was having a toll on the castle and it was beginning to collapse. Gentai spun around again at the Horned King but he blocked his attack and pushed him off. Gentai flew backwards and threw both of his Keyblades at the Horned King. The Horned King only managed to block one of them and the other ripped at his robe. Gentai caught them both and then sent them in a wide arc along the ground. Fire streamed fromthe Oblivion and ice streamed from the Oathkeeper both going along in a vertical line towards the Horned King. Gentai jerked his keyblades backup while focusing on his spells hitting the Horned King and suddenly, both elements flew up and began to consume him. This surprised Gentai for a moment, and it was all the Horned King needed to send bolts of lightning hurtling his way. Gentai attempted to block them but they hit on of his hands and he lost his concentration, the Oblivion disappearing and the Oathkeeper turning back into the Kingdom Key.

But Gentai wasn't through yet and he ran at the Horned King. The Horned King briefly looked around and noticed the collapsing castle. He scowled and created a dark portal behind him, backing into it before Gentai could reach him...this was no longer a fight he could win. Gentai stopped himself short and shot a beam of light at the portal just as it was closing. But he couldn't reach the portal before it did. He swore loudly.

"Gentai, are you okay?" Sora asked him and Gentai scowled, facing them.

"Get out of here you guys, there's something I need to take care of." Gentai ordered them and they looked at him in protest. The castle shook again, supports falling out underneath the castle and in the throne room. "GO!" Sora and Kairi nodded and created portals to take themselves out. Riku picked up Melissa, who was in slight pain, and created another portal.

"Gentai...are you sure about this?" Riku asked in worry over what the reckless twenty-eight year old would do.

"Just GO!" Gentai yelled and Riku approached the portal. He took one last look at Gentai, who was facing the place where the Horned King had disappeared, before he entered the portal with Melissa in tow. He appeared beside Sora and Kairi on the shore near Annuvin as it began to fall down all over the place. When the dust finally settled, Annuvin was a pile of rubble and Gentai Tanaka had still been inside.

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Author's Note: So there it is. Sorry if it's a little choppy but yes. There was some fun stuff in here I think. Personally, I turned Gentai into a total bad-ass but that's just me. I hope you liked Gentai's character and some of my resolution of the characters meeting and stuff. Oh yeah, and I neglected to mention this but this _**is**_** The Tale of Gentai Tanaka after all despite Sora being the main character. I also dropped plenty of hints in this chapter. But just let me know what you think of Gentai now (a now common question) as well as what your favorite part of the chapter was. Now, other quick notes: 1) Before I said I would never kill off a character that was uber important to the trio...I rescind that statement now and for the rest of the story. 2) I promise that Demora, Hikaru, and Edge will appear again but I won't say when. I think that's all so please review, and Dare to Be Silly. (Yay! 4 more chapters and an epilogue)**


	21. Chapter 20: Season of the Witch

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters. Nor do I own the Horned King of Prydain (which is owned by the awesome Lloyd Alexander). But I own whatever original characters appear.**

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Chapter 20

Season of the Witch

It was hard to believe that mere hours after Gentai Tanaka woke up, he would be sent into a difficult battle and then be killed in the destruction of a castle because he refused to leave despite the fact that he had a window and an opportunity to do so. These were the thoughts that swirled around in all of Riku, Sora, Kairi, and Melissa's head as they stared into the heap that was Annuvin. Sora almost wanted to laugh as he remembered the last time this very same castle had been destroyed. he quickly did a scan around at the shore near Annuvin and saw the gathering forces of their own army from the battle. Most of the enemy forces, according to Leon, had been completely devastated in the battle, especially once the Cauldron Born just crumpled down into mere skeletons and nothing more. After that major loss of their forces, many of the remaining Keyblade wielders turned and fled, taking the Unbirths with them, signaling a victory in the Battle of Prydain.

But Riku's heart was heavy. Gentai, despite the issues he had recently ironed out, was still a friend and they had lost him in this battle. It was especially lamentable due to the fact that they had all seen the immense skill he had in battle while fighting the Horned King. Riku wanted to hit something but he restrained himself and instead proceeded to look around at the space around them. It was strange seeing such a conglomerate of their forces and Maleficent's combined but here it was, in plain sight. Of course, Maleficent herself had not been present in the thick of the battle and instead had directed her forces from the sidelines. Riku suddenly jumped when he felt Melissa's hand on his shoulder. He quickly turned to look at her.

"Are you okay Riku?" Melissa asked caringly and comfortingly, a small well of sadness in her eyes. Riku just shook his head, without answering. Melissa squeezed his shoulder in a way to remove her sadness and his. He faced her with a sad smile that answered no questions. But his words soon did.

"It's just a little difficult to believe that after all this time, after he comes back after twelve years he has to be an idiot and die." Riku said with a slight chuckle and Melissa nodded her head almost knowingly.

"Who had to die?" came a voice from behind all of them. Immediately, the four Keyblade wielders turned to face the voice only to find Gentai leaning against a tree, his arms folded and looking as if he didn't have a care in the world. He was smirking at their dumbfounded expressions as he stepped forward and away from the tree. "Oh, really, you guys actually thought that, given the chance to escape, I was gonna stand there and die?"

"Then what were you doing?" Kairi asked, her eyebrows raised in question. Gentai chuckled at this statement as he cracked his knuckles.

"I, went to go and track down the Horned King." Gentai said simply, almost as if he expected _everybody_ to know this answer. "It's a little trick I picked up while bouncing around, trying to find him for the past month. Shoot your own little portal at his corridor of darkness, that corridor doesn't fully close and then, using my special powers I reopen the gate and follow him to wherever he may be. It's really quite simple."

"So then...we can assume that you've found him?" Riku asked sternly, wondering the most important piece of information.

"Oh yeah...I found him." Gentai said but to Riku it sounded almost accusatory. "And I, for one, am surprised you hadn't found Onyx's base before now. Honestly, all it took was one little trip to the Vanishing Planet and you would have found it." The silence that permeated the five of them was immense, especially as Sora, Riku, and Kairi shared a look with one another.

"Why would we go there when that place has brought us nothing but pain?" Kairi said in a soft voice and Gentai looked at her incredulously.

"Maybe because it could mean the difference between thousands of lives!" Gentai said angrily and they all took a step back. "Hey, I understand the pain you guys would feel going there more than anyone...not exactly some happy memories for me, you know, but you should have at least sent _someone_. Onyx has been allowed to hide out there for, what, ten years now and all you can think about is what you lost there."

"Uh, Gentai, not exactly an easy place to want to go to is it now?" Sora said, determination lit in his eyes. Gentai faced Sora and stared straight into his eyes, giving Sora the impression that he was reading him like an open book.

"True, true, but really, if we don't at least try to take him and the Horned King out now on that base then we lose any chance we had of winning this war, do you understand?" Gentai said and somehow, they all got a wake-up call surging through them. "So, are you guys ready to go or what?"

"But who shall go?" said a calm and yet a sinister voice that forced Gentai to freeze. He should have known this confrontation would be coming sometime in the future, he however did not happen to know when that would be, and now that it was coming he had a split decision to make on the matter. To him the voice was hollow, a reminder of the past events that had cursed, destroyed, and ripped apart his life forever and was a voice he had hoped his companions would have crushed so long ago and yet…the witch lived on. This was affirmed when a large pillar of green flame suddenly blasted near them and from it strode the pallid faced form of Maleficent.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked, his eyes narrowing and Gentai could tell that Sora, despite having formed this alliance with Maleficent, was no happier to work with her now than before. Gentai could then feel Riku's eyes on him, attempting to ascertain what he would do.

"I mean that clearly not all of you brave warriors can go and I have a certain score to settle with the Horned King." Maleficent said, her eyes flashing with green flame as she mentioned the name of her adversary. Suddenly she gave a miniscule start and turned to face the shocked white face of Gentai Tanaka. "Gentai, dear boy, it's been too long."

"How about not long enough…" Gentai mumbled out angrily as he glared daggers at the witch. She chuckled and it sent a chill running through Gentai's bones.

"I'm sure you are more than aggrieved to see me again, much less to be working with me after I…" she tapered off as Gentai picked up the slack, himself rightly guessing that Maleficent thought it would cause him unendurable pain.

"After you destroyed Agradar and killed Demora. Oh, yeah, I'm still pissed at you…I don't think that'll ever go away." Gentai said but still he made no move towards the sorceress. "But you're working with Sora now so I'll just have to trust you. It's clear that you want to battle the Horned King yourself, I don't blame you. So I'll step aside." He had said this last comment more to the group than anyone else and Sora tilted his head to the side pensively.

"Then it's just me and Maleficent." He suddenly said after a moment of silence. Almost immediately, Kairi rounded on him.

"Sora, are you nuts?!" Kairi yelled at him, thwacking him on the shoulder. "Don't you remember the last time you were there you-"

"Yeah, Kairi, I died, I know. But that was last time and this is this time." Sora said with determination and a grimace on his face. "I'll go with Maleficent to stop the Horned King and Onyx and it will just be the two of us. The rest of you, go back to Radiant Garden and start forming the army for a final battle. If we can't win here…that's it, we go to war tomorrow."

"Are you sure you can trust the witch?" Riku spat out, making a point at calling her that to her face. Maleficent's face betrayed no surprise or movement in the slightest. Sora folded his arms and looked at Riku sternly.

"I may not trust Maleficent, but right now she's the best shot we have at defeating the Horned King." Sora said. "Now get going, the sun's just come up. With luck you can get to Radiant Garden before noon and I should be following you shortly. We'll have this done in no time." Riku seemed to stare at Sora for an eternity before finally nodding and turning away. Sora briefly looked to Gentai who shrugged and also turned away from the sight. Sora then turned to Maleficent.

"Well then, Sora, shall we get going?" Maleficent asked, the dark tone in her voice sounding threatening.

"You first, Maleficent." Sora said with a smirk and Maleficent raised her staff into the air. Sora held his Keyblade in front of him and a portal appeared. With one last look at Maleficent who was now disappearing in a rush of green flame, he stepped through the portal and came out onto a dry and barren cliff, overlooking the wasteland that was the Vanishing Planet. It seemed no different than what Sora had seen twelve years ago, the barren wasteland with no vegetation and clusters of rock dotting the land, making it seem even more barren. There was a ferocious wind whipping around the pair that had just arrived on the world, making Sora's spiky locks sway slightly in the wind and his jacket whipped around him, his Keyblade held loosely at his side. He had to squint his eyes slightly from the sand that was blowing up from the wasteland. He took a chance glance at Maleficent and saw her standing there resolutely, her robes whipping around her madly, her staff upright and glowing with its eerie green and she looked more the part of the sorceress than ever. "So, where do you think we'll find him?"

"Oh…I think we'll let him come to us." Maleficent responded. Instantly she responded by firing her staff into the sky and setting the entire sky awash in a green tint that looked eerie at best. "I'm sure that they'll know I am here by now. Come Sora, let us walk and see what comes to us." Sora had no choice but to follow. However, the Horned King was not coming and the further they walked, the more despair filled Sora's heart as he began to think they would never find their elusive quarry. Then he passed by something…a broken rock. And in his mind's eye he saw the dying form of Hikaru lying against that rock, being cradled in Gentai's weeping arms and an idea came from him.

"Of course…" he breathed out and Maleficent halted, turning to face him. "It's so obvious. They were using Zexion's base from the beginning! How could we be so stupid!" Sora smacked himself on his forehead with his palm. Maleficent seemed to have understood his words for she started off at a brisk pace where Sora quickly caught up to her and managed to lead the way. Directions were quickly flashing through his minds eye before he at last saw the large stone rock that seemed almost like a pillar, indicating they were close. He and Maleficent darted around it, and standing not a few meters away was the Horned King himself.

"So…the witch herself has arrived." Sora heard him breathe out, calmer than he had been when battling Gentai little over an hour prior. "And Sora, we are once more graced with the chance to meet again."

"Can it!" Sora said before quickly taking in his surroundings. "So where's the little puppet master, you know, Onyx?" The Horned King chuckled at this but Sora was't sure it was because he was asking or because he called Onyx the puppet master.

"He's waiting below, using his powers to sense your imminent defeat." The Horned King stated, black lightning surrounding his hands and his black sword appeared within it. He stuck it in the ground and stared at Sora. "You and I have a score to settle Keyblade Master. Twelve years ago I received these scars from you in battle."

"And personally, I think you look better for it!" Sora jeered and the Horned King's face, concealed behind the mask, made no movement. He picked his sword up.

"No, the pain they caused me was unendurable. While you merely scarred my mask it was as if you damaged an extension of myself." The Horned King sneered out. "That is why I wield this blade now, to prevent any such damage as you cause to me that day from ever happening again."

"Hey, I can still take you down." Sora said confidently and the Horned King snickered.

"Is that really what you want Sora…?" the Horned King said, beginning to pace around. "To have me fall? Think about it, if you were to join me as I asked of you twelve years ago you could become one of the most powerful beings in the universe. You could rule not only Radiant Garden but everything else under my command. Together we could overthrow Onyx. His powers of Kingdom Hearts are mere trivialities compared to our combined power!!" There was a manic tone now issuing forth from the Horned Kings mouth and he had been wrapped up into such a fervor that Sora was subjected to only glaring at the propositions the Horned King made. "Come now Sora, both of us want to overthrow the Key of Darkness and who better to do so that we, the best combination of light and darkness than even the twilit road is."

"SHUT UP!!!" Sora said, leaping forward and attempting to bring Kingdom's Crown down on the Horned King. Swiftly, he blocked the blow and pushed Sora back. "Why don't you stuff it?! I have no intention of joining you and I never will so go back to your little hole and rot there for all I care." The Horned Kings topped his pacing and stared malevolently at the form of the Keyblade Master.

"So be it…keybearing fool." The Horned King said malignantly and from his hands issued forth a gigantic barrage of fireballs that came to zero in on their target: Sora. Sora prepared to erect a reflect shield but before he could so much as blink a green pillar of flame extended in front of him and absorbed the blow, fading soon after the attack did. "You protect him?!" Sora's head swiveled to look at Maleficent whose green orb of her staff was glowing.

"He is the one who shall preserve the status quo you fool." Maleficent said, her anger and rage matching even the Horned King's. "He is the one who will preserve the villain's way of life. The one who will allow us to destroy our heroes. None shall have revenge on him but me!"

"Then you burn with him!" the Horned King said and a ribbon of flame shot out of his sword. Maleficent twirled her staff around and fired out of it, her own green ribbon of flame that connected. An explosion ripped through the area and Sora flung himself away from the dueling sorcerers. Maleficent's orb flashed brightly and strands of lightning shot out wrapping their way around the Horned King, pinning him in place. Maleficent thrust her staff out, a green ray of death aiming right for the Horned King's heart. The Horned Kings attempted to move but to no avail. However, with quick thinking, pillars of eart shot up from the ground, breaking him from his paralysis and leaving a shield which the death spell shattered.

Maleficent whipped herself around and raised her staff to the air and icicles began to rain down on the Horned King. He sent a flame arcing through his blade and sent it spinning around his head. The intense heat radiating from the sword caused the icicle to melt and quickly the Horned King thrust his blade out and trapped Maleficent in a whirling tornado. The Horned King cackled evilly at the sight of his foe being whipped around in an unrelenting tempest. He quickly advanced on the helpless sorceress.

"So you see Maleficent, all your protection for him means nothing. You are no match for my power!" the Horned King said and he raised his hands to deliver the fatal blow. "Now you will die." But Sora saw something before the Horned King did. Malficent's eyes were burning with a green flame and suddenly green flame wreathed her entire body. For a moment he believed that Maleficent was going to flee from the battle but was soon dissuaded from that notion as he saw a sight he had only truly seen once in his life before. Maleficent's form changed and the Horned King stepped back in shock as Maleficent suddenly had four legs and a tail of the deepest black sprout from her. A lonch arching neck also extended and the whirlwind was broken, dropping from it, the form of a snarling dragon. Sora, in that moment, realized what this might entail but he knew he would have to see things through.

The head of the dragon struck, snapping its jaws at the Horned King who moved to take a might blow at it so as to cleave its head off. But the dragon was too fast for it, its head zipping up before it reared on its hindlegs and crashed back down. Both Sora and the Horned King had to grit their teeth from the power of such an attack, but the Horned King, who was still standing took the brunt of the attack. However, he remained standing. He quickly sent a jolt of lightning at the dragon but the dragon snapped its head forward and spirals of green flame shot out of it. The Horned King quickly erected himself a shield of cascading water which battled against the flames for a time. The dragons head snapped out as the flames circled around. The Horned King attempted to dodge but the dragon's fangs grazed his shoulder, leaving a deep gash. The Horned King knew he stood no chance against the dragon at all. He sent a darkness rippling through his blade and dodged the dragon's next blow, quickly plunging his blade into the stomach of the dragon. The dragon cried out in pain and began to flail around. The Horned King, attempted to move away but found he was stuck…and yet…there was a new power coursing through him, something greater than ever before: the true darkness…a darkness that could bring back the most foul of foes.

When the current of darkness ceased he was flung backward with his newfound power brimming within him. The dragon collapsed and a fading darkness surrounded its body, fading away the exterior of the dragon to reveal a rasply breathing sorceress who looked drained beyond all comparison. Sora shot up and ran at the Horned King who decided retreat would be the best option. He rose his hands and instant the black hued, yellow eyed form of the Heartless appeared before him. Sora stopped in shock for a moment and lunged at them, quickly clearing them away as the Horned King descended into the fortress. However, from that same fortress, emerged Onyx, a smug look upon his face.

"You…after all this, you're the ultimate one responsible for this." Sora seethed at Onyx in anger.

"This is what you deserve for allying with scum like her. You're but a dying breed, soon to fall to your very existence and nature. Sora, your time is not long lived. You and your pathetic band of an army have no resistance to the darkness that is about to fell you." Onyx stated, his own tone seething despite the fact that is face looked calm.

"We have resistance!" Sora yelled angrily. "And we can prove it to you! Just watch! Our power combined, the power of our friends, is more powerful than you'll ever be! You'll see tomorrow. We'll fight, you'll die, and we'll win."

"So be it. We battle at your Great Maw." Onyx said, turning away, accepting the offer of battle. "Oh, and Sora…mull it over. We'll have a pre-battle parlay to see if you can see reason ." With that he strode away, sending a blotch of darkness into the still green sky: a herald to the death of Maleficent. Sora quickly ran to her rasping side.

"You must preserve the status quo…Sora…" she said as soon as Sora reached her side. Sora didn't say a word but stared at the dying sorceress. "If I shall not have revenge then none…All my legacy passes to Pete for only he understands…our mission."

"I understand." Sora said resolutely and Maleficent laughed weakly.

"You always were…my most admirable foe." Suddenly her hand strongly clutched Sora's arm. "You must be the one to finish me. Only light can forever dispel the darkness. Unless you do not wish me gone forever, you must destroy me. It is the same with the Horned King…destroyed by light..or return from the darkness."

"Why are you telling me this?" Sora asked exasperatedly.

"To give you the chance to live and the chance for things to be the way they were meant to be. For I cannot kill you and so none shall. Do it!" Maleficent ordered and with heaviness in his heart, Sora quickly stabbed Maleficent in the heart, at last felling the witch that had plagued him for years. She heaved a final breath and was still. Sora looked to the sky that was darkening with Onyx's spell and knew: the war against the darkness was about to end…one way, or the other.

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Author's Note: There's a lot that could have gone wrong with this chapter but there it is. Maleficent is at last gone and I mean totally gone. I also show you who I think would win in the Maleficent and Horned King fight. Ironically, I think this is the shortest chapter I've written since Twisted Souls…which is saying something I think. As you can now see everything is being set up and I hope you can see connections (cough Chapter 13 cough). Now, if you want to imagine this in your mind's eye, the song from the _**Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince**_** soundtrack "The Journey to the Cave" is actually what I imagined playing as Sora and Maleficent go to the Vanishing Planet. The next chapter may take me a while to write as it is a large portion of the battle but I'll get it to you as soon as I can. Personally the few parts I'd like you to review on are the plot developments, Gentai's character (as usual) and the duel. So until the next time we meet, please review heavily and Dare to Be Silly.**


	22. Chapter 21: Preserve the Status Quo

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any Disney stuff in a way that I could sell it no matter how much I wish I did...nor do I own chase sequences (semi-demonstrated here) from Dissidia: Final Fantasy.**

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Chapter 21

Preserve the Status Quo

"So the twin's dream came true?" Kairi asked once Sora had arrived back on Radiant Garden with the information that Maleficent had at last died. He left out the details of who had killed her, but he did share the point of information on how to kill the Horned King. Gathered around the room that was his war council stood Riku and Kairi, flanking either side of Sora. Next to Riku stood Melissa and Franz, who had arrive over a week ago from the Interstellar Academy. Mickey was on the other side of the table, standing on it, to meet the others' eyes. Flanking him were Donald and Goofy, along with Jim Hawkins. On the other two sides of the round table stood Leon and Cid, Cid noisily biting on the toothpick in his mouth. Against the wall near the computers in the room leaned a silent Gentai, his arms crossed and his hair falling on his shoulders, staring at the exchanges before him.

"Yeah, I shoulda seen it coming. We knew it was Maleficent and I supposed we should have guessed that the other guy was the Horned King." Sora said with a slight agitation to his tone.

"And now we have to deploy the troops for tomorrow morning?" Leon asked, his face stern and unwavering. Sora nodded at him in affirmation. "This battle won't be easy, Sora."

"Aw, I'm sure us fellas could do it though. We won in Prydain!" Mickey said and Donald and Goofy immediately agreed with him, eliciting a slight giggle from Kairi. Melissa finally chose this time to spoke up.

"Onyx is smarter than we give him credit for. He might have given us a full day to prepare but don't think he won't as well. Riku, you know that almost better than anyone, don't you?" Melissa said, sending the silver haired Keyblade wielder a glance and he nodded.

"He has the forces of the Unbirths…he has a multitude of Keyblade wielders and he'll be working on reinforcements while we've got…" Riku tapered off and somehow everyone in the room knew that he was going to say "nothing" but didn't say a thing since Sora inserted himself in.

"We've got our friends!" Sora said with conviction. "We'll win. Onyx may be strong and smart but we've got something he'll never have! So, this'll be our battle plan. If Onyx wants to have some reinforcements waiting in the wings, the only possible places would be near him or in the space above Radiant Garden. So we counter with that same space. Jim, Cid, I need yo guys to lead the fleet into war tomorrow with as many pilots as you can."

"Yee-haw! This'll sure be one hell of a time!" Cid whooped and everyone in the room laughed. "C'mon Hawkins, let's go and shine those babies up for battle."

"Well, his enthusiasm never ceases to amaze me…" Jim said, shaking his head and following Cid from the room. Franz turned to Sora.

"Your Majesty King Sora." Franz began but Sora gave him a strange look and he stopped before Sora chuckled.

"Just call me Sora, Franz, you know me." Sora said, now fully understanding how Kairi must have felt all those years with people calling her princess.

"Very well, then, Sora, if you would permit me, I would like to join Captains Hawkins and Highwind in battle." Sora smiled at him and nodded. Franz left the room next. Kairi turned her body and faced Gentai.

"You're awfully quiet." Kairi said and Gentai lifted his head up to look at them with a smirk on his lips.

"Nothing to say. Go to battle, beat the crap out of Onyx, go home. End of story." Gentai said and he stood up from his leaning position. "Is there anything else? I would suppose tomorrow will be no different than today. One Keyblade wielder will lead the platoons and any remaining platoons would be headed by others."

"That's the general idea…" Sora said, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, if everything's settled then…Leon, alert the troops, after that, you have eighteen hours to do what you want. At dawn, we go to war." Leon nodded and walked off to leave the council room. Gentai still remained, leaning against the wall staring around at his companions, almost giving no sign of ever wanting to move.

"Well, I need some time to think so…see you later." Riku said and he left, sparing only a glance more at his best friends. Sora and kairi watched him go and then watched as Melissa followed after him very soon after, not saying a word.

"Welp, Donald, Goofy, let's go contact Minnie and Daisy and let 'em know what's goin' on!" Mickey said and his two best friends agreed, the three of them running off before turning back to Pete. "If ya wanna come with us ya can, Pete." Pete followed. Sora looked into Kairi's eyes with a sad smile.

"Come on, let's go see the kids." Sora said and he and Kairi locked arms and began walking off, glancing back at the still and silent form of Gentai.

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"Oh, of course I would aid our kingdom in battle tomorrow Leon." the white haired, blue robed wizard said to the Gunblade wielder. "After all the years I've put into restoring this place it is difficult to believe that perhaps tomorrow may be the culmination of that effect." Leon nodded curtly, leaning against the wall in Merlin's house. It had been a few hours that Leon took preparing the troops for the next day and at this moment sunset was beginning to arch over the sky of Radiant Garden. He thought back to all he had done, lining up the Princesses of Heart and Aerith as well as other healers in the back to take care of wounds. Meanwhile, many others like Yuffie and Tifa would join the front lines of the battle.

"Well, I'm still grateful that you'll help out." Leon said with a slightly disgruntled look on his face. Merlin merely chuckled and shok his head joyously.

"Think nothing of it, dear boy. After all, if we do not stand together then what hope ought we to have?" Merlin pointed out and Leon let out a scoff in agreement. Suddenly the door to the house creaked open and both of the people in the room turned to look at who was emerging into the house at this time of night. What they saw was the form of Gentai. As Leon surveyed Gentai's form he quickly thought about how surprised he was not only to see him again but also as to how he changed. His hair, longer, his body stronger and his demeanor was now filled with sarcasm and humor: something he had previously been devoid of (especially the sarcasm). Of course it was granted that Leon had only met the boy a few times before in his life but those few times had been enough to give him a general survey of what made up Gentai Tanaka. So it was, that with extreme curiosity that both took a look at the now twenty eight year old man who was about as tall as Leon, as he walked into the room.

"Leon." Gentai said, acknowledging the captain's presence as he strode to Merlin. "Merlin, I wanted to ask you something…something rather important about magical lore."

"Well, if it's magical lore you desire you've come to the right place." Merlin said with a hearty chuckle. "What is then, my boy? Ask away!" Gentai nodded and for a moment seemed to be thinking about how best to ask his question.

"Is it possible to completely control magic?" Gentai asked and Merlin frowned at this question merely because he could not discern what Gentai was trying to understand. "I mean, we all know you can control direction or type such as the trajectory of ice shards and fireballs into flame rings and what not but I mean, _really_ control it."

"Do you mean to say…" Merlin faded out of his sentence but Gentai quickly picked up upon what he meant overall.

"For instance, if you had, let's say a huge ice crystal that you formed, could you, with magic, break it up into tiny icicles and send them homing in on a specific opponent?" Merlin put a finger to his bearded chin and stroked it thoughtfully, reasoning out an answer to Gentai's question.

"Yes, it is indeed possible but highly unlikely. Only the most advanced of mages can ever do it and most do it by accident." Now it was Gentai's turn to look confused by Merlin's answer. "You see, many people often get in the heat of battle and focus solely on the element they are casting giving them some great level of control over it. But the difficulty of doing so is that you must completely focus upon the element you are using and where you want it to go. You can't let your next move stop you. You need to let that element fill you up, understand?"

"I think so…" Gentai said with a slightly unsure nod. "Thanks Merlin, see you tomorrow." With that, Gentai seemed satisfied with his answer and left the house leaving a confused Merlin and a bemused Leon.

"He sure has changed hasn't he?" Leon said, his words laced with a chuckle. "When I first met him he was this little kid and now…"

"Change happens all the time." Merlin interjected with a sad smile. "Unfortunately, it is rather difficult. The times shifting from peace to war, a young boy ripped from his world and the life he knew, much like yur relationship with Miss Gainsborough."

"Which is something we never talk about." Leon said sternly and Merlin dropped the conversation. Leon looked out the door that Gentai had left open and to the setting sun, thinking about the day ahead and whether tomorrow would be brighter.

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"Aww, dad, you're making us kids blush!" Demora said with fierce pride over her sanity from her parents lavishing so much love on them. The kids weren't stupid, they had figured it out. Tomorrow their parents would be going to war and there was no absolute guarantee that both of them would be coming back alive. It was okay though…Olette, who was staying behind with Jeanette and the other mothers, father, and children that could not fight (and whom Sora would not force to) would take care of the twins should their parents fall in battle. Sora hugged Demora one more time. "Can we go now? Jeanette wanted to see me and she told me to bring Gentai along."

"Go ahead." Sora laughed out and the two twins ran out of their parents' bedroom and down the corridor. Sora smiled at Kairi and the two made their way to the garden outside their room. Sora leaned against the fountain and merely stared into Kairi's blue eyes with his own. She had always been so beautiful to him, even as a child. Though he had admitted to her that she could say some of the most annoying things sometimes she did eventually grow out of that habit with age and into the lovely woman she was now: the woman he would always love whether in this world or the next.

The same was true in Kairi's mind regarding Sora. She always knew that Sora and Riku had battled for her affections and she didn't mean to encourage it but it came as a force of habit. But in her heart at that time she was still unsettled over who she would want to spend her life with. Any teenage girl would willingly want to dream over the man she would marry in the future and it was true that Kairi had dreamed about that a lot. She always examined Riku first and while he had meritable qualities her mind always had dwelled on Sora. Then that fateful night happened and her heart had been joined with his…literally. Then his sacrifices and all the choices he made drove her closer to him until he stood before her not only as the man who was her husband and the Keyblade Master but the man she would love even if all the worlds fell away.

"Tomorrow…" she breathed out and Sora nodded his head in resignation. "It's hard to believe that we're fighting tomorrow of all times. After everything we've been through and done…it's all led to this single moment in time."

"Yeah, almost makes you wonder if anything we did really meant anything at all…you know?" Sora said, his defenses down, his determination gone.

"Don't say that Sora!" Kairi yelled at him with a fierce look in her own eyes. "No matter whjat happens everything you and I and Riku and even Gentai did has a point to it!"

"I know!" Sora said cheerfully and Kairi playfully thwacked him on the arm before leaning against the fountain next to him. She quickly slid her hand into his gloved one and felt the feel of it against her.

"I wonder if I'll ever feel your real hand again." Kairi said sadly and Sora smiled at her again in an attempt to cheer her up.

"When this over, I'll find a way to heal my hand for good. You got that?" Sora said and Kairi nodded, her eyes now brimming with happiness. Sora's face then started drawing closer to hers and she leaned in as well. "I love you Kairi."

"I know you do Sora…and no matter what happens tomorrow…I love you too." Kairi said and they met in a passionate kiss that they felt may be one of the last ones they would ever share together again.

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Melissa strode out onto the balcony near the ramparts of the castle at Radiant Garden, heaving a deep breath and shaking out her limbs from the damage that had been caused to them in her second battle against Onyx. For a brief moment she stared at the yellow and red form of the sunset before her gaze moved down the ramparts to a person leaning against them a little down the way. The form was instantly recognizable to her even though she had met him only that day. But already there was something different about him. His hair was no longer sweeping along his back but was instead gone, leaving the boy with short hair. She decided to speak to him and made her way down to him. Gentai stood there, his eyes closed, making no sound or movement to her presence. She now saw that he looked a little younger with his short hair but she still thought that it didn't look bad on him…it might have looked good. She cleared her throat and his eyes opened. He turned his head to look at her and grunted in acknowledgement. She stepped forward and leaned against the ramparts next to him.

"I…uh…I never got to thank you…for earlier." Melissa said timidly and she didn't know what had come over herself. "You saved my life."

"Like I said…you would have done the same for me." Gentai said calmly, continuing to stare out at the sunset. "We're Keyblade wielders, we stick together no matter what."

"I wish my brother would see it the same way…Then mayvbe we wouldn't have to fight him." Melissa stated sadly. Gentai turned to look at her with arched eyebrows.

"Brother?" Gentai said and Melissa didn't respond. "Ahh…Onyx is your brother. Then I would presume you have some issues with him?"

"More than you know…" Melissa said with a grimace and Gentai laughed loudly.

"Well, after tomorrow there'll be no need to worry about your brother anymore. If I have to, I'll see to it personally." Melissa was taken aback by this offer but Gentai said nothing more. She wringed her hands out of nervousness and was just as surprised that she was feeling so nervous around this man that she had just met.

"Well…thank you." Melissa said in a strangled sort of voice and when Gentai said nothing she decided to head back into the castle. She passed by Riku as he came out onto the ramparts to talk to Gentai, not exchanging a word with her. He quickly strode over to the Key of the Future.

"It's not nice to eavesdrop on other peoples' conversations." Gentai said with a snicker behind his voice and Riku stopped his movement, casting Gentai an inquisitive glance. "You came in right as she left…and I could sense you there."

"You really do have special powers now, don't you?" Riku said with a chuckle and came up next to Gentai, letting out a long sigh. "You know, I think she fancies you, Melissa."

"Hmm…" was the only sound that Gentai made in acknowledgement to this statement. "Every night and every morning I'd always look at the sunset and sunrise."

"Was there ever a reason?" Riku said, wondering why Gentai would do such a thing even though he himself would do it every morning. Gentai gave no response to this question either. Tired of not having his questions answered, Riku pushed his tone harder. "You never answered my question."

"Which one, Riku? You seem to have so many." Riku was slightly surprised by this response but not what he had said but rather how he had said it. It had seemed calm, almost like Gentai was, for a brief moment, letting his sarcastic nature fall and letting his (or what Riku supposed it to be) true self shine through.

"About Melissa." Riku said with a smirk and Gentai looked at him.

"Not gonna happen." was all that he said and Riku gave him an exasperated look. He understood that Gentai loved Demora with all his heart but that was no reason for him to not see other people now that she was gone. "Let me rephrase it…she's pretty and all, but even if I do like her in some way it's not gonna happen. At least not until this battle is over. I'm not making the same mistakes I made last time."

"You've changed way too much Gentai. Kind of like your hair. Why did you cut it to its original length?" Riku asked and Gentai shook his head.

"You ask an awful lot of questions don't you?" Gentai said but he turned back to stare at the sunset again. "Well, it's not like they have a barber shop in the Realm of Nothingness and it's not like I had time till now what with chasing the Horned King across the worlds." Riku laughed at the humor in this statement. "To tell you the truth, I cut it off to return to who I was. I felt that it growing longer was a sign of my maturity…but now I want to return to who I was, the person I was, before I ever knew what Keyblades were. That's why I cut my hair: to return to that time."

"Clearly you've given this some thought." Riku answered and suddenly, Gentai turned towards him abruptly.

"I'm getting my Keyblade back tomorrow, no matter what. I'll fight this, what was his name, Sikaru? Yeah, I'll fight him and I'll get my Keyblade back." Gentai said sternly and Riku believed him the instant the words left his mouth.

"Then I'll make you a deal." Riku said with a sneer. "If you defeat Sikaru, then I'll defeat my apprentice Juthias."

"We're the only ones that can." Gentai said simply to the thrity four year old who he was now as tall as.

"So we'll be the darkness before Onyx can be. We can be the outcasts." Riku said, nodding his head with strength. "We can make the right choices and finish this."

"Yes we can. Do you trust me?" Gentai said, looking at Riku and Riku nodded. At last, the two held out their hands and shook them. Then the two friends turned and watched the sun sink on their final night before battle.

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The sun seemed to rise earlier than normal the next morning as everyone prepared for battle. Cid, Jim, and Franz led the pilots to their ships and took off while Sora, Mickey, and Leon led the army down to the Great Maw. Trailing behind them were Riku, Kairi, Gentai, Melissa, Hayner, Pete, Donald, and Goofy. The army was massive but Sora knew that once the Heartless, Unbirths, and potential Nobodies entered the fray then it would be practically inconsequential. Soon, Sora left Melissa, Leon, Donald and Goofy behind to prepare the party for war while they made the trek to the Dark Depths and the place where Villain's Vale. As they approached they saw Onyx standing there, on his left and right were Sikaru and Juthias, smirks on their faces. The taskmaster was next to Juthias and the Horned King was next to Sikaru. The rest of the army was nowhere to be seen. The group of six walked confidently up to them, Sora staring at Onyx, Riku at Juthias, Kairi at the taskmaster, Gentai at Sikaru, and Pete at the Horned King. Mickey stood as backup.

"Well, Sora, your time is over. Will you join me or will you still persist in this folly?" Onyx said with an evil tombre in his voice.

"What reason would we join you for?" Sora said with a grimace. "Each one of us has been through hell and back and you believe we'll just up and join you. I don't think so." Onyx sneered at this comment but quickly regained his composure.

"Look at your motely group. A broken band of Keyblade wielders, a group of inexperienced warriors and someone who's so dumb they can't tie their own shoes." Onyx said leering at all of them. "You have no hope."

"Hope is in the perspective of who's holding it." Gentai said fiercely. "And right now, I'd say we have a lot. And by the way, only we are allowed to call Pete dumb."

"Yeah!" Pete agreed and Gentai chuckled and Pete's thick-headedness. Onyx heaved a breath and looked at each of the warriors in turn.

"To believe you have such darkness and are so afraid to use it." Onyx said. "Very well, if you won't reconsider, then I shall have no choice to destroy both you heroes and your pathetic alliance of villains."

"Fine. Have it your way." Sora said with a sneer. "But know this…" He got up in Onyx's face and Onyx actually backed away for a second, flinching. "We'll fight and you're gonna die. Just like I told you." With that, Sora and the alliance of with him turned around and made the trip back to the army.

"Thanks for sticking up for us Pete." Gentai said with a smirk and Pete puffed up his chest.

"I can't let ya guys have all the fun. These meatheads deserve to be punished by us guys as much as they do by you. So let us at 'em." Pete said triumphantly and everybody nodded fiercely before they made it back to the army. Leon quickly strode up to Sora.

"Cid and the others reported in. We were right, Onyx has an army up there. Sould I tell Cid to commence striking?" Leon asked and Sora considered it for a moment before shaking his head.

"Tell him to attack them only if they attack first." Leon nodded and accepted the order while Sora quickly deserted his friends and climbed up to the top of a cliff, looking down on the army. "Fellow defenders of the worlds, warriors of the worlds, heroes and villains alike. We stand here today, not as a body broken by anger and hatred but united as one because after all our fights with each other we still share the same goal: to end this war! We no longer want to live in fear of the darkness and so we shall put a stop to it now. Heroes, you know as well as I do that we cannot allow this to continue on if we intend to live in peace. That is why we must fight now. Villains, though your heroes are here to destroy you know you won't because there would be no point in it. Only together can we have a victory that may one day allow you to face your respective heroes. And it is here that we must preserve that balance. It is here we must make our stand. This is our time. Our time to choose! Choose to die and watch the world crumble or choose to live and fight the darkness! Here we chall shape our stories! Here we choose our fate! Here we will preserve the status quo!!"

At this, Sora summoned his Keyblade and raised it up into the air. A brilliant light suddenly blossomed from its tip and spread across the entire world. Riku, Kairi, and Gentai were the next to follow and Melissa and Mickey finished it up. Suddenly, all the Keyblades in the army were risen above their wielders' heads and shining across the entire world. Sora ran down the cliff and joined his wife and friends at the head of the army and everyone gave out a loud roar of triumph. Sora then held his Keyblade in an attacking stance and the army grew quiet as they saw Onyx's army approaching in the distance.

"Do we move now?" Riku asked and Sora shook his head. Leon quickly told him that Cid had just contacted him to tell him that battle had begun in the skies above. But still Sora waited as the army continued to approach. People began to worry as Sora remained still and silent and even Riku and Kairi were worrying. Gentai was the only one who seemed to look calm through this whole ordeal. "I think now would be a good time to move."

"Just wait for it…wait for it…" Sora kept chanting as the army drew closer. At last they had emerged into the largest portion of the Great Maw and the whole army began shaking. "Charge!!" Sora screamed and all at once, the army surged forward, any semblance of order lost. Within the timespace of a minute the two armies clashed. Sora spun around and cut through the first line of Heartless and Unbirths only to hear the resounding sound of metal on metal as he locked his blade with another wielder of the Keyblade. He drove forward, pusing his adversary off of him. The man stumbled back and Sora let loose a large rush of flames that instantly incinerated the man. He went back to work. Kairi was nearing him, flipping through the air and twirling around to stop the armies. The married couple had already been separated from Riku, the king, Donald, Goofy, Melissa, Gentai and pretty much everyone else and were now stuck on their own in the middle of this intense battle. Around them, some of the soldiers fell to the might of the Keybearers in Onyx's army and all at once more Unbirths seemed to spring up. Sora went for these immediately, letting loose a torrent of lightning that abruptly finished these new arrivals off.

Out of nowehere, a Keyblade came swiping out of nowhere hitting him in the stomach with its blunt side. He stumbled backward and fell to the ground. The man brought his Keyblade swiftly down upon Sora but not before a reflect shield erected itself and the man bounced off, sending himself to the ground while Sora got back up. He looked around and saw Kairi there, having cast the protect spell. Sora smiled at her and ran at the stumbled Keyblade wielder, spinning across and cleaving him right across his body. While it pained him to kill another human being he knew that this man would stop at nothing to destroy him. Sora looked past the man's fallen body and saw a large mass and conglomeration of Heartless, Nobodies, and Unbirths marching towards them. Kairi ran up next to him.

"What now, Sora?" Kairi asked him worriedly as they approached them, drawn by the unsatiable desire of the juciest hearts on the battlefield in such close proximity to one another. Sora looked to his wife.

"Ready to try a little fling?" Sora said and he cupped his hands, dismissing his Keyblade for a moment. Kairi smiled and nodded. She flipped backward quickly and then ran forward, leaping into the air. Her left foot landed on Sora's hands and he lifted her over, sending her sailing towards the mass. It was a lucky shot that at the moment she encountered them at fast speed that Tifa, Cloud and Yuffie all entered into the fray and Sora joined them soon after. Winthin mere moments the massive group had been dispelled and Sora flet smug that they were making good time. Suddenly he heard a roaring noise, as if a fireball was being sent at him and he whipped around, slicing through one that was incoming. When he looked up he saw the Horned King standing there, holding his black sword and his withered mask blazing with fury. "You!"

"Me indeed." The Horned King said, moving forward slowly. "Now, Sora, at last we shall end this pitiful cycle of battle. You shall not return from death this time, nor will anyone else who dies here. Your time ends here!" He raised his sword to the sky and a great pillar of dark flame suddenly surrounded him, wreathing his body in it. When he emerged there were wisps of dark flame floating around his body and lining his sword. Sora felt Kairi come up next to him.

"Not if we can help it!" Sora yelled and both he and Kairi leapt into battle against the Horned King.

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Melissa was faring well against the enemy forces. She found that they fell easily to her blade, possessed with strength unknown that filled her to the brim. It was almost a burning desire to defeat her brother that was projected onto many other members of the army that allowed her to go forward and defeat them. She easily twirled around, her Keyblade in hand sending out projectiles of light streaming towards the opponents. The orbs struck them in their heart and they fell over, convulsing uncontrollably in their final moments. She smirked at how pathetic they were before she heard a feral roar and turned around. But somehow she knew that she was too late, her moment of triumph costing her in the end. She whipped around and saw the man stopped, blood trickling from his lip and Gentai Tanaka right behind him.

"That's another one you owe me…Melissa." Gentai said, as if trying to figure out his name. Melissa bit her lip before letting out a laugh. "Hey, you're building up a huge loan payment at the bank of Gentai Tanaka. How will you ever repay it?"

"Oh, I'm sure I'll think of something." Melissa said and a loud scream ran through her ears as Ron Stoppable ran past, Keyblade warriors and Unbirths chasing after him. However, they seemed to notice Gentai and Melissa and discerned them as more of a threat, soon surrounding them.

"And now we're surrounded…great." Gentai replied sarcastically and the two began to sand back to back, facing their adversaries. "So, Melissa, come here often?" Melissa laughed at this.

"I try not to but it's been happening a lot more as of late." Melissa said with a smirk and to her back, Gentai smirked as well. "So how are we going to get out of this, Gentai?"

"Oh, you go this way and I go that way." Melissa scoffed and Gentai's own scoff soon followed after. Without warning they jumped to their sides of the ring and began beating away opponents. They spun their way through the encroaching army and it of course helped that Hades was tossing around so many fireballs that they managed to strike some of their opponents. Melissa and Gentai walked up to one another and pounded fists. _If this battle doesn't end, then at least I have a friend_, Gentai thought to himself. But then he sensed something was off. He sensed a fireball hurtling towards him before the spell was cast. He whipped around and sliced through the encroaching fireball and looked up. On a small rock precipice that had formed stood a boy of nineteen with silver hair.

"What the…" he breathed and then noticed the Keyblade at the boy's side. Pale Twilight. "Ohh…Sikaru…"

"And you're Gentai Tanaka." Sikaru said angrily and Gentai let out a laugh.

"Yes I am. Now, I'll be having my Keyblade back." Gentai said, holding the Kingdom Key in front of him Sikaru held his Keyblade in a defensive position.

"_Your_ Keyblade?! You gave this Keyblade up because you were too weak!" Sikaru jabbed at him with an insult and Gentai laughed at that statement. "It chose me which is why I'll defeat _you_! To prove that this Keyblade is mine."

"Have it your way, little boy." Gentai said and Sikaru snarled at the mention of being called a little boy. Gentai felt a hand on his shoulder and saw Melissa standing there.

"Will you be okay?" she asked him as the sounds of battle raged on around him and Sikaru continued to fume over being called a little boy.

"I'll be fine. You go on and fight." Gentai said with a confident thumbs up and Melissa arched an eyebrow but returned to battle. "Your move." Sikaru lunged at the Key of the Future, spinning through the air but his Keyblade was blocked easily by Gentai's own. Gentai pushed forward and Sikaru did a spin through the air to land on his two feet. He came running straight at Gentai again, spinning around and having his Keyblade clang against Gentai. Gentai spun around, knocking off Sikaru's. He then took a step forward a made an upward slash at the young boy which he quickly parried but Gentai wasn't going to let off the pressure. He immediately jabbed forward and Sikaru had a close call as he batted the blade away. he attempted to go for Gentai's knees but Gentai anticipated this and jumped into the air, flipping backwards before running forwards. He flicked his finger across his nose as if to taunt Sikaru and ran straight at him.

He twirled around and the force with which he next struck Sikaru's blade caused the nineteen year old to stumble back and grit his teeth. He himself took a flip backwards to avoid whatever strike may be coming next. Gentai didn't miss a beat and lunged his Keyblade forward, the shockwave of a quake sent straight at Sikaru. Sikaru swore loudly and rolled out of the way sending a large projectile of energy at Gentai. Gentai smirked and twirled his Keyblade right in front of him. The energy hit the Keyblade and dispersed. As Gentai got out of his spin, Sikaru sent five raging fireballs at the Key of the Future. Gentai waved his Keyblade across and out came a number of icy projectiles that obliterated the flames. Gentai once more ran at the boy, spinning around to catch him off-guard. Sikaru blocked that strike and with amazing speed Gentai spun around again before that blow was parried. Gentai pushed Sikaru's Keyblade away and aimed for the boy's face but Sikaru batted it away, making a move for Gentai's stomach. But Gentai's Keyblade shot out of nowhere an deftly knocked it away before swerving and aiming for Sikaru's legs. Sikaru blocked that and Gentai decided to increase the distance. He pushed Sikaru's Keyblade down and placed his feet upon it and flipped into the air. As soon as he was in the air Sikaru whipped his Keyblade in a circle and Gentai found himself being encased in a large block of ice.

"That was too easy." Sikaru said haughtily upon seeing the frozen form of Gentai in the air and he began to turn away when a loud cracking noise pervaded the air over all the din of battle. Sikaru whipped around and saw his ice encasing breaking apart, which it eventually did so in a shower of lightning, streaking straight down at him. Sikaru whipped his Keyblade across himself and deflected a majority of the lightning bolts, though one singed across his cheek. Gentai landed with a smirk and shook himself of the remaining ice shards.

"Not bad, kid." Gentai said with a malevolent glare. "But now it's my turn." With ferocity he sped at him spinning at a highly intense speed that made it nearly invisible to the naked eye. Sikaru barely had time to react and found himself pushed back and a deep gash on his left shoulder where Gentai's Keyblade had managed to come across it. Gentai once more waved his Keyblade across and white projectiles flew out. Sikaru managed to beat away a majority of them but one hit him and drove him up into the sky. Gentai flipped forward and vaulted himself from the rocky precipice that Sikaru had been standing on to chase after the boy. He made a strike at him but the boy spun in midair and dodged the attack before attempting his own on Gentai. Gentai did a spin to make a cushion of air around himself before striking again causing Sikaru to block the blow. Gentai drove down and the two hurtled toward the ground. Sikaru's eyes widened in deperation and right before impact he created a reflect shield. Gentai bounced off of it but Sikaru braced his impact and when the reflect shield fell he was unscathed.

Sikaru twisted his Keyblade like a corkscrew and sent what seemed to be rippling waves of darkness at Gentai in the form of orbs. Gentai jumped into the air and suddenly glided away from them before letting a beam of light shoot out at Sikaru. Sikaru was ready for it and blocked the burst before jumping out of the crater. This proved to almost be an absolutely fatal mistake as Gentai glided around him, sending orbs of crackling electricity at the boy. With no way to counter it, Sikaru merely tossed his Keyblade at the orbs and let himself fall to the ground. The electrical orbs exploded above him while he recalled his Keyblade. Gentai landed lightly and raised his Keyblade to the air. A red mist pervaded the area around Sikaru and he couldn't see a thing. Sensing a deadly magical attack, Sikaru brought up his reflect shield and rightly so. The flare spell sent plenty of projectiles that homed in on him battering against his shield and almost breaking it. The red mist began to disappate and Sikaru believed that would be the worst of it but he let his reflect shield down too soon. Suddenly a turret of wind surrounded the boy and he found himself gasping for air. Gentai walked forward with a look of determination to finish the job.

Sikaru pointed his keyblade down and a quake broke the tornado, allowing Sikaru to drop to the ground, out of breath but still alive. Gentai looked at him curiously, wondering why he was still alive and furthermore, why he was still fighting after all the abuse he had gone through. Sikaru didn't know why either but he still continued, yelling out and dashing at Gentai. Gentai sighed right before the attack came at him. He stepped to the side to dodge the first lunge and brought his Keyblade down on Sikaru's back only to find it blocked by Pale Twilight. Gentai smirked and decided to step it up. Sikaru twirled Gentai off of him and what happened next was so fast it was practically impossible to describe in words. Sikaru spun around and Gentai blocked and the two began to enter into a contest of strikes and parries that neither one could stop. To any bystander it wouls appear impossible for anyone to master, Gentai driven by determination, and Sikaru driven by arrogance. Gentai finally pulled away the upper hand and kicked Sikaru in the chest, driving his foot upward and with amazing strength, driving his opponent into the air. Gentai leapt into the air and the two continued on their battle of swordstrikes in the air before Sikaru managed to send a foot flying at Gentai. Gentai managed to block it with his Keyblade but he hurtled to the top of the cliffs surrounding the Great Maw.

He quickly cast a buffet of an aero spell around him to cushion the blow and leap backward as Sikaru landed where he had been moments before. Both warriors were sweat marred and had dirt on their faces, though Sikaru had dried blood on his shoulder and a scar on his cheek from the attacks that Gentai had given him making him look considerably worse. To complicate matters, he was breathing heavily and now that they were removed from the fight, nothing could shield him. He glared at Gentai who merely shrugged his shoulders and ran at him. Sikaru ran at him as well. Both spun around and their blades met with a resounding clang that echoed across the Great Maw. Gentai leapt into the air and began gliding around, sending shots of fire and ice at the poor boy who rolled away and flipped from everything, only occasionally using his Keyblade to block the things. As this show went on Gentai began to laugh loudly while Sikaru started cursing more frequently. Gentai then made a dart down at the boy and Sikaru swung across in a mighty cleave, knocking Gentai away and sending him sprawling to the ground. He quickly recovered from his shock as Sikaru came at him. He forced his legs onto Sikaru and pushed him back while flipping himself up. They both held their Keyblades in a defensive stance. It was going to be a long battle...

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As the sounds of war went on, Riku had found himself seperated from everyone except for Pete who was currently busy causing mayhem to the Unbirths with his bombs. Even some Keyblade wielders had been caught in the blast radius. Soon, a larger explosion, not from Pete ripped through the area and Riku quickly brought up a shield around himself and Pete. When the blast subsided Riku saw mayhem wreaked on some of the soldiers from radiant Garden and Notre dame. Morgana was lying off to the side, her tentacles sepping blood and herself having a lifeless expression. There were many dead now surrounding Riku including three Keyblade wielders from their side. Pete was instantly enraged and Riku followed soon after, firing off large shots of darkness that cleared a large area around them. But Riku heard footsteps coming and he turned around, watching as Juthias came up to him.

"Riku, we meet at last on the battlefield." Juthias said and he pointed his Keyblade towards his former master. "How I've waited for the day that I would destroy you! And now, all the Keyblade wielders fall on your side. I believe Sikaru will be eliminating your friend Gentai quite soon and you'll go next." Riku had heared enough and with a roar he sailed through the air, bringing Way to Dawn right on Juthias' own Keyblade. He snickered at the sight of it and with amazing strength sent a whirlwind that pushed Riku off of him. Riku skidded across the ground but then held his blade up over his shoulder.

"No! This is your end! Not mine!" Riku yelled and then wasted no more time on words. He fired off a number of Dark Aura shots in quick succession which Juthias quickly deflected by whipping his Keyblade around in multiple successions. Riku ran straight at his former apprentice and jumped into the air, before hurtling straight down at his target. Juthias twirled around and with deftness, knocked Riku backwards and up into the air. Riku twisted around as Juthias jumped up and flew at him. Juthias attempted a strike at him but Riku blocked the attacked and flipped backwardquickly before aiming a kick at Juthias. As expected, Juthias blocked it and Riku kicked off, soaring away from him. He held his palm out towards Juthias and numerous orbs of Dark Aura shot out with a fury. Without missing a beat, Juthias summoned a reflect shield and the dark aura battered into it. But the shield never cracked and Juthias soon dropped to the ground looking the same as when the orbs had struck.

He followed this act of evasion by plunging his Keyblade into the ground. Flame pillars began shooting up towards Riku and Riku grimaced, sensing his only chance to escape a fiery demise. With massive strength, Riku used his hands and vaulted up into the air, dismissing his Keyblade before he did so. He flew over the pillars and angled himself towards Juthias who quickly dismissed the flames and readied himself for an attack. Riku summoned his Keyblade and hurtled down at a high speed at the top of Juthias' head. Juthias prepared himself and used his Keyblade above his head to block it. But Riku vaulted off that and back into the air again. Once more he came crashing down and once more Juthias blocked the blow. This continued in this succession for five times before Juthias side-stepped the blow causing Riku to slam into the ground. This sent a massive shockwave shuddering and Juthias was nearly knocked to his knees. However, he still remained standing and the two Keyblade wielders ran at each other.

Riku swiped upward while Juthias twisted around and their blades met before they broke off. Riku jumped only a small distance into the air and made wild sword strikes that were parried at every turn. Juthias now struck out with his fist and punched his former master in the gut, sending Riku backwards while his Keyblade came up and swiped Way to dawn out of Riku's hand. Riku grimaced as it clattered to the ground and as Juthias ran at him. In an instant Riku had summoned it back however and knocked away the incoming jab at his heart. But Juthias wasn't going to give Riku a break and with dexterity he quickly cast a near impenetrable shield of thunder orbs that surrounded Riku. With haste, Riku wrapped himself in a reflect shield and all of the thunder dissipated in a haze of smoke as it crackled against that shield. Juthias wasn't done and as soon as the smoke clear he enveloped Riku in a twister. But Riku broke off the reflect shield which actually shattered the wind cyclone and Riku proceeded to fall back towards land.

He never made it. His body suddenly glowed with a purpulish hue and with a feral cry he disappeared and dashed almost invisibly toward his unsuspecting former apprentice. For a moment, this occurrence befuddled Juthias but soon he thought he could see Riku and instantly whipped his Keyblade around to block off the attack. He always felt his Keyblade strike against Riku's own even though he couldn't see him and as soon as it made contact, Riku was suddenly gone again and it made him angry. Finally Riku appeared again and made straight for him when he landed and shockwaves and pillars of white and black flames split out. Juthias had to roll away to avoid getting hit by one of them. When he righted himself Riku was already en route to Juthias with an angry look plastered on his face. He twirled around and their Keyblade's met. Riku shifted his over so the blunt side was now against Juthias' Keyblade before he raised it and knocked it away. Juthias jabbed inward and Riku parried it away but Juthias' fist came out of nowhere and plunged into Riku's stomach causing him to double over. This gave Juthias the perfect opportunity to trip Riku before bringing his Keyblade crashing across his back. Riku howled in pain as the new scar began to fester in crisscross pattern over his old one. Then Juthias kicked him away like a rag doll.

"Don't you see yet, Riku?" Juthias snickered out at Riku's helpless form. "You're weak. You don't embrace what you should. It is over." Riku slowly stood up, breathing heavily, and using his Keyblade for support. He stood up and faced Juthias with a snarl on his face.

"It's not over yet!!" Riku yelled and, despite the blood seeping from his back, he ran at Juthias.

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Gentai quickly summoned ice throughout his entire Keyblade and sent it hurtling at Sikaru. Sikaru whirled his Keyblade around and knocked Gentai's away from him while Gentai immediately summoned it back to his left hand and switched it to his right. Sikaru lashed his Keyblade out at Gentai and a ball of gravity flew out towards Gentai, hoping to deprive him of all sense of living. Gentai pointed his Keyblade towards it and muttered a stop incantation. The spell froze in midair and Gentai wrapped it in an ice shield. Wasting no more time or effort he spun around and kicked it back to its owner. Sikaru saw it aiming for him and he jumped up into the air, bringing his Keyblade down in a mighty cleave that cut clean through the ball of ice, shattering it to pieces. Sikaru landed and dashed at Gentai. His first attack with his Keyblade was easily blocked by Gentai's own so he decided to kick at the young man's stomach. Gentai reacted quickly and used his Keyblade against Sikaru's foot, causing him to be pushed away and stumble backwards.

Sikaru started for Gentai again but Gentai had new plans: an enactment of knowledge he had picked up only the day before. He focused his thought on the element of fire and started spinning his circle around in a wide arc, flames spitting out from the ending of it, remaining in the air as he still spun, creating a shield of flame which caused Sikaru to recoil from it. Soon the flames reached an apex at the top of Gentai's head and with a jerk of his Keyblade, the flames were sent easily hurtling at Sikaru. Sikaru's eyes grew wide as he saw this vision.

"NO!!" Sikaru yelled and he quickly got into a crowuching position and covered himself with a reflect shield as the flames wrapped themselves around him. The bright light issuing from these flames was intense as Gentai controlled it and turned more than a few heads on the battlefield to see the occurrence that was taking place up above. Gentai eventually ceased the fire spell and Sikaru allowed his reflect to drop, breathing heavily from the exertion he had been put under to keep it up. Gentai ran at him and with a downward strike, Sikaru managed to parry it and pushed him away. He brought his Keyblade above his head and Gentai did the same. The two came at each other, their Keyblades clashing in very quick succession near the top of their heads. Gentai soon brought his Keyblade down toward the younger one's knees but he blocked it and pushed the Keyblade off before jabbing again. Gentai twirled to knock it away, bringing his Keyblade with him. That next strike was blocked and once again Gentai twirled around, the blow parried away again. But Gentai continued on with his strikes in quick succession and soon the two were separated, Sikaru breathing heavy but Gentai looking fine.

Sikaru's Keyblade began to glow a golden color and he rushed at Gentai who braced himself for the oncoming attack. Sikaru waved his Keyblade around wildly in attempt to strike at Gentai who blocked each and every one of the strokes with one hand, smirking while he did it. Sikaru leapt up and put the brunt of his force behind each of his next attacks, Gentai now switching to a two handed hold while Sikaru finished off his onslaught. Gentai scoffed when it was finished and saw the winded Sikaru. He didn't say a word but dashed forward at unhumanly speed. He dashed past once and Sikaru blacked it, then a second time, then a third. He made a total of six quick passes before Sikaru's strength gave out and he was caught off balance. A large gash appeared in his side while Gentai jumped forward, swinging his blade wildly like Sikaru had moments before. Sikaru blocked the strikes but Gentai leapt back and orange projectiles streamed out of the Keyblade tip, aiming straight for Sikaru. Sikaru blocked the first few, but then they hit him full force and he flew backward, landing on the rock where the battle had started in extreme pain. Gentai jumped gracefully down and landed next to him as Pale Twilight skidded across the ground. Gentai looked pitilessly at Sikaru.

"We're…not…through…!!" Sikaru strained to get out, holding his hand out as if to summon Pale Twilight to it. But in never came. Gentai made note of this and in his empty hand, bid it to come to him. And come it did. A warmth sprang through Gentai, rejuvenating him again as Keyblade joined its master in reunion.

"I think it is." Gentai said with a smirk. "Normally I wouldn't kill you…but you're too far gone." With a swift stroke of both his Keyblades he had decapitated the former apprentice of Riku. His gaze shifted away and saw Melissa having slight difficulty with some enemies. He quickly ran over to help her. She immediately noticed the two Keyblades.

"Ooh…someone got a fancy upgrade." Melissa said mockingly and Gentai shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, someone has to. Now bring it on!" And together the two leapt into battle with fierce determination.

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The battle on Riku's end, however, was not going well at all. Juthias was easily putting him through his paces. Juthias was now employing a hit and run technique as he would jump forward and slash at Riku who would just barely block it before leaping away. Meanwhile, Riku was just trying to keep up, firing off orbs of darkness at his former apprentice which were easily blocked. To any bystander, it appeared a blur of sword strikes and black orbs sailing around. But Riku knew he wouldn't be able to last forever, not with this new pain festering on his back. When Juthias finally stopped moving he swiped out only to have his blow blocked. Juthias grabbed Riku's wrists and with extraordinary strength, threw him away. Riku was spinning helplessly in midair as Juthias sent a bolt of lightning to his back. It coursed through him in excruciating pain, a horrible strangled cry escaping his lips as he fell and landed on the ground, convulsing from the electricity running through his body. Juthias walked up to his fallen master.

"What a pity, Riku…" Juthias taunted him as the convulsions subsided. "You have such strength but your alliances are so weak. That's what you are. Choosing to embrace the light over a power as strong as the darkness. That was why you chose the path of dawn…because of how ridiculously weak you were. You should be ashamed."

"Light…is nothing to be ashamed of…" Riku said, breathing heavily, attempting to stand, but his body was crying out in pain.

"Nothing to be ashamed of?!! Look at you! A broken wielder like all the others at Crown Fortress!" Juthias cried, a manic gleam in his eyes. "Look around you! Your feeble forces of light are falling to our darkness! There is no power in light. The road to dawn is the road less traveled and a path that destroys all because the only one who take it are weak! Like you! The man I used to respect and admire until he lost sight of the fact that the only true power remains in the darkness."

"You're wrong…" Riku said, finally managing to stand back up and staring his apprentice straight in the eyes. "If you think the only true power is within the darkness…THEN YOU KNOW NOTHING OF DAWN!!!!!" The scream split through the air and Juthias actually acquired a look of fear. Riku suddenly glowed white, then black, and then a golden glow and his Keyblade hovered in front of him. Suddenly it split into multiple Keyblades surrounding Riku's now hovering form. Riku arched his hands toward Juthias and all of the Keyblades flew at him. Juthias surprise broved to be his undoing as he blocked the first few but the rest all slashed scross his body, leaving gashes all over the place. The final blow came straight at his chest and ripped through him with intensity. He spluttered, coughing up blood but not yet dead as Riku descended and walked over to him, catching his Keyblade.

"Did you really think that Onyx was going to share power with you?!" Riku said, shaking his head, twitching a bit from pain. "No, he was going to keep all the power himself and you would be nothing more than a tool, like I was. A pawn of the darkness."

"That's not true…that can't be true…!" Juthias spluttered out indignantly.

"Look in your heart…whatever's left of it…you know it to be true." Riku said with a glare, staring into the darkening eyes of Juthias.

"No…no…NO!!!" Juthias cried out in anguish. He glanced pleadingly at his former master. "Please…please…please…save me…master…" But Riku cast cold eyes onto him and shook his head.

"No…I can't save you…because the apprentice can no longer continue to live." Riku said and Juthias was appalled at the words out of his mouth.

"So…you would leave your debts unpaid?" Juthias asked with a sad smile on his face. Once more, Riku shook his head.

"I've paid mine…now you'll pay yours." And he plunged Way to the Dawn, without hesitation, into the heart of his apprentice who twitched a moment and then lay still. Riku grimaced as pain shot through him and moved his hand over the scar. A warm sensation surrounded the area and sealed up the wound but still left the scar. Regardless, he was still twinging in pain. He sighed from exhaustion but there was no time left for the next moment there was a bloodcurdling cry that cut the air.

"KAIRI!!!!! NO!!!!!" cried the absolutely horrified voice of Sora and Riku's gaze shifted and saw as Kairi's lifeless body, crumpled beneath the raging power of one of the Horned King's spells.

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Author's Note: Oh, I know you all hate me for that but it just makes you want to see what will happen in the next chapter. This was a rather long chapter for me and a very intense one so there's obviously a lot to review on. This was actually originally going to be two chapters, one by the name of "Preserve the Status Quo" (as it is called here) and one by the name of "Master and Apprentice" but I decided to condense it into one…just like the next chapter. All right, now I'd REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY appreciate if you'd review on what I ask you to, cause it realy helps me: 1) All of the night before situations, 2) Sora's speech and the parlay, 3) Gentai vs. Sikaru, 4) Riku vs. Juthias, 5) the ending, 6) the relationships and of course thoughts on Gentai's character and finally, 7) what you believe is going to happen. You'll probably have to wait a week and sorry I took so long but I have been playing _Dissidia_ which is one word: AWESOME!!! Next chapter will have one of the long awaited character deaths I promised so stay tuned and Dare to Be Silly.

**P.S. Lord Moldybutt: Please review both chapters separately.**


	23. Chapter 22: Compensation for Freedom

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or the characters from Treasure Planet or The Chronicles of Prydain/The Black Cauldron and so, live with the fact that they're in here.**

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Chapter 22

Compensation for Freedom

The battle in space was not going well anymore. What had started off as a great offensive against the large fleets of ships deployed by Onyx was eventually going down the tubes. The enemy ships had been the ones to make the first moves against them. This sudden attack forced Cid, Jim, and Franz to order a break in formation causing a full-scale chaotic battle to be induced on the ships flying over Radiant Garden. Thankfully the captains were extremely adept in what they were doing and in maneuvering their troops around. In time, they had managed to obliterate the frontline of the enemy ships though this, by no means, ensured their victory. They themselves had sustained a decent amount of losses on the battlefield. Not to mention that all of them knew that Onyx would have his biggest ships settled in behind the frontline. But there was no way that any single one of them was backing down.

"Star Unit, move in close for an attack, diamond formation." Jim said into his headset, alerting the unit he was currently leading. "Up and over fellas, trap 'em in the web." As one, Jim's section of ships formed a diamond shape and flew up and over a space of some weak-looking Heartless ships. They settled in over them and turned to face them, quickly blasting them apart. The ships quickly broke out of formation. Soon, Jim heard Cid yee-haw over the comlink.

"We got one of those nasty Omegas, Hawkins so that's one down." Cid said with a snicker and Jim shook his head.

"Keep your eyes on the prize, Highwind." Jim remonstrated him. "All right Star Unit, ricochet whiplash." The unit quickly formed into a formation that Jim himself had created while Cid ordered Garden Unit to the side of him into a v-formation. The two units quickly descended into battle and oblitereated another part of that line of Gummi Ships. Now they were feeling reasonably well off. Unfortunately, there was always more for the taking.

"Hawkins, wanna try a double attack?" Cid snickered and Jim could almost see the pilot's smirk over the comlink. He shook his head and chuckled.

"Why not? Double prong formation?" Jim suggested and Cid readily agreed. Quickly the two units merged into one, forming what seemed to look like a prong that screamed straight at the opponent forces. Those forces attempted to move off but quickly they were caught in the trap as the two units swung off of each other and created opposing rows. They then fired into the thicket of ships which no longer stood any chance of defending themselves against the onslaught. In mere seconds the allies' forces had won out a victory over those ships, quickly congratulating each other. Very soon after this, Franz's voice filtered through the comm to both Jim and Cid's earpieces.

"Hey guys, sorry to break up the party but we have a battle." Franz said and the two immediately sobered up. "We have a problem, Gold Unit is having major problems and my unit is far away from them. Can you guys get over there post-haste and clean this mess up?"

"You got it!" both Jim and Cid acknowledged over the comlink and immediately ordered both of their units to quickly head over to where Gold Unit, perhaps one of the larger units, was engaged in battle with some particularly difficult Unbirth ships. And they saw it was true, the unit was not doing well, now reduced to a few completely crippled ships. Without thought, Jim ordered his unit to step on it. But before they could even get within decent blasting distance of the enemy, an Ultima-G was fired off, ricocheting around and destroying the remaining members of the unit.

"SHIT!!" Cid screamed loudly and both units came to a halt so as to not become wreckage themselves. Jim himself wanted to curse loudly but thought it wouldn't be prudent for him to do so. But as he looked off past the wreckage he saw something that made him _really_ want to swear.

"Cid, clean your mouth and look ahead." Jim ordered and Cid did so, letting off even fouler (if that was possible) swear words than he had previously. In a line in front of them were thirteen large cruisers, each armed with an Ultima-G on both sides and multiple Thundaga-Gs on each of their helms. Cid and Jim both knew this was going to be a rough battle and began to brace themselves. Jim quickly brought Franz up on the comlink. "Franz, get over here already. We've got lots of cruisers heading right this way and I'd say they're none too happy to see us." A quick conformation came across this channel and all of the captains quickly began detailing their plans of attack to their units. Jim sent word down to Silver Unit, led by Emily Vance, while Cid transferred down orders to his wife, Shera. Franz quickly joined them with Crown Unit.

"All right everybody, this one ain't gonna be fun, but we'll try our best." Cid rallied up towards everybody and with a simple command, all of the units together engaged the large hulking cruisers. As they reached within a firing distance the cruisers began letting off blasts of their Thundaga-Gs and Jim's unit quickly swereved out of the way to avoid the strikes as more little ships came out of the cruisers aiming straight for them.

"All right guys, let's blast 'em apart and aim for those cannons on the helms." Jim ordered and his unti engaged. Three more members of his unit got hit and dropped off but most of the unit sustained little casualties. Quickly, the unit regrouped and charged at the nearest cruiser. It was lucky that as they engaged the guns, Cid and his unit were engaging the Ultima Gs on the sides. Jim's group was slightly more successful. They managed to rip across the top of the cruiser and the guns were sheared off, flying away into the space vacuum and burning as they went. Cid's group however, had to pull up from their assault, only scratching the surface nowhere near their mark. The bottom arching units quickly sustained casualties but Cid and most of them remained unscathed. Jim quickly thought of an idea. "Cid, we better do a pincer attack. "I'll lead my unit behind and you go straight from the front."

"That's suicide Hawkins…but it might work." Cid acquiesced. "All right, let's do it! I can see why they made you captain!"

"Someone has to do the ideas crazy enough to work." Jim said and quickly he led his group quickly over the cruiser. As they made a turnaround, Jim could see in his scopes that Cid was already barreling down the front and Jim spurred his unit on, letting off a blast of his guns. The combined firepower of the two units quickly crippled the left Ultima-G and the two gave a repeat performance on the right side, leaving the cruiser bare and crippled. Before losing any gained momentum they let off their barrage of attacks and before long the ship fell from the sky in a burning heap, breaking up into various pieces of debris before it would even touch the atmosphere. "Well, we've got a plan that'll work now."

"It's a bit too risky for me though. I don't think we could take all twelve remaining cruisers that way." Cid told him and Jim had to agree. Quickly however, he suggested joining up with the remaining units to take them down. The sight of the remaining units, however, was not a pretty one. Of the other five remaining units (discounting the prior Gold Unit) that were Silver, Crown, Bronze, Kingdom, and Light, only two of them had any sort of momentum as all of Bronze, Kingdom, and Light were all waning in their strength. Soon enough, Light Unit had fallen to the enemies' bombardments and they were down to six units, all of which were not complete. That left two cruisers for each unit.

"Cid, Jim, there's now way we're going to be able to take all of these cruisers down. I think we may be fighting a losing battle." Franz said over his comm as the two units flew to join them.

"Shut yer yapper, Franz. This battle ain't over till I sing and believe me, you'll know when that is." Cid said in a grunt-like statement to get his point across.

"Either way, you wanna take down twelvew cruisers the old fashion way?" Franz questioned and the two remained silent over their lines. "I thought not. There's only one way to do this." Jim quickly thought about Franz's statement and realization hit him.

"No, Franz no. Don't try to be a hero!" Jim said. "It won't be worth it, you'll cripple your unit, you'll cripple the fleet. Get that insane idea out of your head! That's an order!" But Franz had no intention of listening. With horror, Jim and Cid watched as Franz ordered his unit to stay behind and his ship plunged towards a nearby cruiser, striking it head on. The impace caused it to shudder before its power died out and the ship began to dip and dive, breaking into pieces.

"What now? Crown unit is captain-less." came Cid's voice and Jim had the cogs whirring in his head. He swore under his breath.

"Rally everyone together in one. Merge all the units." Jim ordered over the comm and Cid's exasperated tone quickly came through the comm.

"Are you goddam crazy? We'll be sitting ducks!" Cid yelled but Jim quickly acknowledged that he didn't care and called everyone to quickly come together. It was enough to hold all of their resolves as they all faced front towards the looming cruisers that were about to annihilate them. Jim steeled all of them, prepared them to fire their weapons just as they were to be blasted to oblivion., But before either side had a chance to fire, a group of a hundred ships, unmarked and quick, came roaring through the area, blasting down four of the cruisers with relative ease due to their element of surprise.

"Hope I'm not too late to the party, Jimbo, but I brought ya a surprise!" came a voice that Jim hadn't heard in twelve years. He smiled as he heard it.

"Silver! What're you doing here?" Jim called out and Silver laughed happily over the comm.

"I'm here to help you lads out. I've been gatherin Order members ever since I heard of that scallywag Onyx's plan to kill 'em all." Silver stated jovially. "How's Morphy doin' Jimbo?"

"He's at home with mom." Jim said when suddenly Cid let his own voice filter into the conversation.

"No offense, but who's Silver, and remember we've got a battle to win." Cid said with slight frustration and Jim chuckled nervously.

"Silver's an old mentor of mine. Well, we might as well save the rest for later. C'mon Silver you gonna help us?" Jim asked and the space pirate happily replied.

"Am I ever? Didn't I tell ya you'd be great one day Jimbo? Didn't I tell ya?!" Silver said and all of the ships he had come with quickly joined with the remaining units of the forces that had been crippled in the battle. Jim smirked as he looked at the remaining incoming cruisers.

"All right, let's try a Shock Impact maneuver." Jim told the whole fleet at large. Silver's voice quickly came across to Jim in form of a question.

"And what is that maneuver Jimbo?" Silver asked and on the other line, Cid happened to be snickering. "What's so funny about this?"

"Clearly he doesn't know your own created moves, Hawkins." Cid said with a chuckle and Jim quickly explained the plan to all the ships in their fleet. All at oince they formed a large, multi-layered ring that sped towards the cruisers at incredible speed, catching them off balance. The circle easily fit around the cruisers and under the following intense and heavy barrage of firepower the cruisers fell. Silver then quickly sent the rest of his crew to wipe out remaining ships while the Keyblade wielders he had picked yup quickly planned to beam to the world below. The battle in space had finally been won.

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Sora was, to say the very least, pissed off. He had lost a lot over the years: his heart, his friends, his life itself…but now the enmy had taken it one step too far. Now he had lost _Kairi_. Kairi, who though she had been kidnapped, it was not nearly as irreversible as death. So he was angry, an anger he had not felt since he had faced Saix atop the Dark Depths in this very world nineteen years ago. And that rage was directed straight at the Horned King. With a cry of anguish he leapt at the fiend, heaving mighty sword strokes in his direction. But the anger had clouded him and his vision and many of his attacks were either cleanly batted away or else dodged by the Horned King. Soon, the Horned King seemed to have been wearing Sora down. His strikes were coming slower and he himself was moving in a sluggish fashion.

"I tire of your foolish games, Sora. Begone!" the Horned King cried and from his hands flew a dark purple ray of lightning. All at once it hit Sora and flung him backward. Sora landed on his chest and skid across the ground, coming to a stop. But Sora immediately stood up and ran at the Horned King who, with a lazy wave of his hands, sent a wind current at Sora, causing him to flip backward and land lightly. Not even taking a breath, the Horned King created five orbs of ice in the sky surrounding Sora. Converging them on one spot, he sent them back down at Sora who brought his Keyblade up to defend against the mighty blow that the Horned King was about to deliver. The Horned King cackled in delight.

"Here ends our battle Sora…Destiny's hand cannot be stayed, and nor can mine." He lowered his hands further, the ice increasing in pressure and Sora began to feel his knees buckle. Tears of strain and exhaustion leaked from his eyes and his arms seared with a fury they had not for two weeks. He knew this was the end…he would join his beloved wife. But suddenly the weight was lifted from his shoulders as he felt a roaring heat. His eyes snapped upward and saw a ball of flame soar into the ice balls, shattering them into pieces. Sora whipped around and saw Donald standing nearby, his staff held out threateningly. The Horned King sneered and quickly reformed the ice into a hailstorm of icicles. But even this didn't find its mark for a shield with the crest of the king came flying out of nowhere and collected all of them to stop them from hitting Sora. Goofy leapt up and caught his shield, the icicles melting off. Donald raised his staff and Sora was surrounded with a green light and all his fatigue was vanished.

"No one hurts our friend Sora! Cause we always stick together!" Donald yelled as he came to flank Sora's right side with a gleam in his eyes and smirk on his beak. Goofy came to back up Sora's left side.

"Yep! It's always been the three of us and that's how it's gonna stay!" Goofy affirmed and Sora smiled, facing the Horned King who was looking at them with a mixture of anger and surprise radiating in his body.

"That's right!" Sora yelled and the three who for so long had fought together held their weapons to bear. The Horned King now changed into an attacking position.

"Then you shall enter Hell together as well!!" the Horned King roared and a red flame flashed out of his sword, aiming straight for them, but suddenly, two separate figures came in the way and absorbed the blow with reflect shields, eventually coming to stand next to Donald and Goofy.

"We're not gonna let that happen now!" Mickey said, his own Keyblade held out threateningly. Pete's whole body shook as he nodded vigorously.

"That's right! You're goin' way down!" Pete said and all five of them stood together, ready for battle. The Horned King let out a high, cold and cruel laugh.

"So you pathetic fools challenge me!! The most powerful being in the worlds!" the Horned King cried and their faces hardened as the Horned King faced his empty eyes on them. "Then you shall know true despair!" No words were needed as the Horned King swung his sword and sent large pillars of purple flame at the five of them. At once, the magic users conjured magic spells around themselves that blocked the blow while Goofy used his shield (which happened to be resistant to most magic). When finally the magic subsided they all aimed straight for the Horned King. Sora was the first to strike out. His Keyblade met the Horned King's sword with a loud clang. Quickly he twisted around and started resolutely banging against the Horned King's resolve while the Horned King was hard at work to block every one of them. This was especially true since Sora struck with a quickness that almost made his Keyblade invisible. Soon the Horned King blast off a ball of flame at Sora which forced him to retreat and jump away from the Horned King's assault.

Goofy then came; surfing along his shield and the Horned King was almost caught by surprise but quickly fired off bolts of lightning that threw Goofy off balance, throwing him backward. Mickey leapt in and blocked the remainder of the attack before using his dexterity to stop Goofy. Goofy grabbed onto the Keyblade and Mickey flung him off with extraordinary strength. Goofy spun and aimed for the Horned King who now resorted to using his sword to knock Goofy away. But now Sora ran straight at him. With a raising hand a shield of dark flames erupted around the Horned King's entire body and Sora quickly used his Keyblade to absorb the shield. But eventually it threw him off and he was forced to twirl in midair in order to land safely. The Horned King then turned his attention to the projectiles beings launched by Pete, slashing at them in all his fury. Sora quickly ran up to Pete.

"Hey Pete, you ready for some ricochet action?" Sora asked with a grin and Pete, getting the gist of what Sora was saying, nodded fiercely. Without deliberation he ceased his attack and erected his reflect shield around himself. Sora quickly leapt up and hit the shield with the Keyblade. Pete began rolling and the Horned King, who had been busy dueling Donald in magic didn't notice him until Pete collided with him, causing him to grunt loudly. Pete jumped off and started tossing more bombs at the Horned King. Only barely did the Horned King manage to escape the barrage, the hem of his robe now singed. He wasted no more time on Pete however as Mickey came sailing through the air, three circles of flame surrounding his diminutive body. The Horned King instantly let loose a stream of dark flame which collided with Mickey's flames, impeding the mouse's progress. Mickey pushed against it, his own flames turning purple in color but eventually it broke and Mickey dropped to the ground gracefully. He darted at the Horned King again.

The two seemed to be a whirling mass of shapeless forms and blades as Mickey executed his trickiest air maneuvers. But the Horned King managed to match him for every blow until Mickey broke off the attack and landed a few meters away from the Horned King. In anger, he sent rippling slices of darkness through the air but Sora darted in front of the king and sent his own ribbon of light at it which caused the two to explode upon impact, lighting up the area. Sora smirked at him and the Horned King dismissed his sword before plunging his hands downward. Spires shot up from the ground and aimed straight for Sora. Donald quickly came to join him and together the two quickly cast their own earth spells, which managed to break up the line of spires and save them from harm. Sora looked at his long time companion with a smirk.

"Hey Donald, you ready for this?" Sora asked, flicking his nose and Donald quickly raised his staff in an approving manner.

"You bet ya, Sora!" Donald yelled and with a wave of his staff, sent magic flowing into Sora's Keyblade.

"Star's Fall!!" Sora yelled and suddenly a large rock, a comet rather, flew out of the sky, aiming for the Horned King. He quickly used his hands to stop the comet slowly before it would hit him. He put a lot of effort into stopping it and the group ran forward to finally eliminate him but the Horned King summoned his sword to his hand which cleaved through the comet, breaking it into pieces. He then sent more dark flames at the crew that was approaching him. Sora grimaced as he ordered everyone to skid to a halt. Both Mickey and Sora then acted on instinct yelling "Flood!" This caused water to seep up from the ground and shoot up, eliminating the flames. They both glared at the Horned King who was standing there resolutely. However, he seemed a little more haggard than he had before, as if the battle was taking a toll on him.

"No more shall we fight…" he gasped out with effort and his sword was lifted into the sky. "HEAVEN'S LAMENT!!!" Before any of them could do anything, countless meteors began to fall from the sky, preparing to pepper them with endless blows. Goofy put his shield above his head while the others brought up their shields of magic. The effect of the Meteor spell was powerful and Sora wasn't sure how much longer the endless attacks of the spell they could endure. Suddenly it stopped and Sora dropped the shield, breathing heavily but staring at the Horned King. "You were fools to play at this game. Your end is nigh." Sora wanted desperately to move as the Horned King advanced but all of them found that they were practically drained from their spells.

But suddenly the Horned King stopped and there was no reason given as to why he did. He just stood there, no emotion filling his mask but his body had become rigid and it was then starting to shake. Sora looked at it curiously before a Keyblade came out through the Horned King's chest. It was an orange-gold in color and at the top were flowers. There was only one Keyblade that Sora knew looked like that: Destiny's Way. Kairi's Keyblade. Sure enough, Kairi, looking drained but up on her feet stood up from behind the Horned King.

"You will not hurt my husband or my friends." she sneered with venom and the Horned King gasped loudly before Kairi withdrew the Keyblade from his body. His sword dropped from his hands and he looked at Sora, his entire body shaking. He lifted a finger, gnarled and ruined, to point at Sora.

"And so, I satisfy this world's hunger…for death…" The Horned King fell, sprawled across the battlefield, one of the final lieutenants and the highest in Onyx's ranks. In a flash, Sora darted over to Kairi and hugged her. She winced from the pain she was in but she was otherwise all right.

"I thought I had lost you." Sora said with an outpour of emotion. Kairi smiled sadly at her husband.

"You'll never lose me Sora. I'll always be right here." Kairi said, pointing at Sora's heart. Now it was Sora's turn to smile. Riku's voice came next, carried through the air.

"Great to see you two together again but we have a battle pressing on." Riku said with arched eyebrows. Sora looked at Riku and nodded his head in comprehension mouthing a "thank you" to him, realizing he had healed Kairi. Then he looked at Kairi and they separated. Together the three stood and faced the remaining enemy forces on the battlefield…which were still pretty strong, much to Sora's chagrin.

"So…how do we do this?" Sora asked with a smirk and his best friends laughed loudly, sounding for once as though they were fourteen and fifteen respectively again…the night before the islands disappeared. They held their weapons ready and lunged at their opponents in the thick of the crowd. No sooner had Sora felled five enemies than another person came running up to him.

"Sora! I have good news!" Leon yelled as he ran over. "The space fleet has been destroyed, and what's more, Cid says a man named Silver has arrived with at least twenty more Keybearers for our side." Sora smiled and gave Leon a thumbs up as he ran back into battle with his Gunblade. Leon had certainly spoken the truth as twenty or so bright white lights appeared on the battlefield, revealing a number of Keybearers. Even Cid appeared with his spear and Jim with his gun, rushing into battle. And as Sora ran back in with his forces he felt, even if for a brief moment, that perhaps they would be able to win this battle.

That fantasy was soon crushed. No sooner than Sora wiped out the enemies surrounding him than a long drawn out cry pierced the air as did the sound of explosions in the area closest to the Dark Depths. Sora whipped around to face it and saw bodies fly through the air, many of them being of Radiant Garden soldiers. Sora didn't know where it could have come from. Then he glanced onto the cliff and saw Onyx standing there, hand outstretched, an eerie dark blue glow to it. He aimed his hand elsewhere and fired off another shot, ripping through yet another area of the army. Sora turned his head and saw Melissa being srestrained by Gentai who was now wielding two Keyblades. Then he saw Riku rushing toward Onyx. Sora quickly tore off for Riku and grabbed strongly onto his shoulder.

"NO! Riku, now's not the time!" Sora yelled but Riku, out of anger, still tried throwing him off.

"Damn it Sora! Let me go!" Riku yelled but Sora held his best friend fast before whipping him around and looking into his eyes.

"Don't run off to death! Remember what happened the last time you rushed into something." Riku froze and remembered his descent into darkness. His body relaxed and he nodded calmly at Sora. "We'll get him, but we need to regroup. We're too scattered now, we need to retreat back to the castle."

"All right Sora, what do we do?" Riku asked and Sora stared at him in determination.

"Fall back." Sora commanded and while, for a moment, Riku was shocked, he quickly obeyed. "Fall back!" Sora cried out and the whole army seemed to hear him and register all of it. Sora watched Riku gathering some troops and noticed the scar on his back. He winced in shared pain but let Riku move on. "Your Majesty, Pete, fall back!" The two of them quickly agreed. One by one, Sora called on all the units to fall back, Kairi bringing her own in while yet another was led by Gentai and Melissa together. Sora whipped around to make sure everybody was making their way back to the castle, eliminating Unbirths as they went. Sora spotted one of the last units on the field. "Leon, fall back!!" Leon acknowledged him and commanded his unit to retreat back to the castle. He remained with them and Sora ran to stay with tide of others. He turned back and saw something he then wished he could forget.

Leon was was summoning large red balls of what seemed to be flame around him and blasted away some Unbirths. He quickly fought with intensity and even lit up his blade with its blue glow to swipe away more Unbirths. He was the last one left in his unit and was fighting with the ferocity of a lion. Then he was struck behind by a Keyblade wielder. Leon stalled and the blue part of his blade flickered. But still he kept on fighting, slashing away at the fos surrounding him, felling almost all of those that remained even though some moderately skilled foes managed to hit him a few more times. Soon the blue part of his blade flickered and Leon fell to the ground. A Keyblade wielder came and stood over the Captain of the Radiant Garden Knights' body and prepared to finish the deed. But before he could, Sora yelled loudly and tackled him. His Keyblade whipped around and made contact with the other's. They dueled shortly but in the end, Sora emerged victorious. His gaze quickly shifted to Leon. He ran to his side.

Leon was gasping in pain, his breath coming in short rasps. Sora's hands leaned down to touch the broken man's body and he fought to hold back tears. The Gunblade lay disposed on Leon's left side, a forgotten artifact and Leon was breathing heavily. Sora knew there was only one chance to save him. He placed the tip of his Keyblade over Leon's body.

"Leon, I can heal you!" Sora said but before he could even cast so much as a simple cure spell, Leon's hand grabbed the Keyblade tight.

"No, Sora, it's too late. Nothing…no magic…can stop this now." Leon said, his breath even raspier as he pushed Sora's Keyblade away from him almost in disgust. Sora looked at him in anguish and pain. Leon's face turned to look at him. "I would have gone with you to the end…my friend…My brother…My king…" Leon shivered in pain, his body wracked with spasms. Sora started forward but stopped.

"I know…" he sobbed out dryly. "I know you would have." Suddenly, Leon underwent more spasms and Sora reached out. "Leon!" Leon quickly shook his head and Sora looked at him confusedly.

"Not Leon…Squall." Leon said, affirming at last that he had become the man capable of defending his own home. Sora nodded vigorously.

"Squall, then." Sora stated simply and Leon's left hand spread out to grab his Gunblade. He tried pulling it up but as he reached halfway, his arm slumped down from loss of energy. Sora quickly took charge and grabbed the Gunblade and Leon's hand, dragging it up to his chest and letting it rest there. Leon took some heaving breaths before his eyes closed and his breathing stopped. Sora let out a cry as Squall Leonhart died upon the final battlefield against the darkness.

He quickly leaned down and put his hands under Squall's body, picking him up and holding him. Sora turned around and set off towards the castle. The battlefield was empty now, save for all the dead bodies that littered the field. Bodies of Eric of Atlantica…of the great dog Cerberus...of many who had fallen. Leon's head flopped silently on his arms as Sora walked off. Sora glanced at the smoke ridden castle and wanted to let out a cry that would shake Kingdom Hearts to its foundations. But instead, as he carried Squall Leonhart's broken body to the castle, he let slip a single, lone, and solitary tear.

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Author's Note: And that my friends is the single most sad chapter I've ever written. I cried writing that ending. Yes, Vergil, you were right, are you happy now?!! I believe I crafted it well but I'd like to see what you think. As a note, I understand that the Unbirths was a mistranslation and it is actually the Unversed but I will keep it this way until I re-edit this story. Review topics: 1) The space battle, 2) Silver's arrival, 3) The battle against the Horned King (both parts), 4) Leon's death, 5) What you now believe will happen in the end and 6) what you think of the chapter title.. Please review in as much detail as possible so that I get sufficient answers. Oh, and yes, Silver was actually mentioned in Chapter 10 when Leon finds out information. We only have one chapter and an epilogue left so we're at the end. Get yourselves ready for the finale of the finale…cause it's next. Please review and Dare to Be Silly.

**P.S. Happy SBI Day!!! (If you don't know what that is, that's okay but if you want to check out SBI MEZ M86's channel on YouTube for some of our videos and trailers and keep in mind we're not high budget and had a crappy camera.)**


	24. Chapter 23: Fading to Day

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom hearts but I own Melissa and Onyx Ardintous as well as Gentai Tanaka so don't sue me...please...please...**

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Chapter 23

Fading to Day

_"It's true! I saw it with my own eyes!" a young brunette with spiky hair, dressed in red shorts and a white t-shirt exclaimed to his older silver-haired friend. The other young boy scoffed as the walked along the island path._

_"Sure you didn't just hear it this time?" the silver boy asked, a little more skeptical than his brown-haired friend._

_"What difference does it make? There's a huge monster in there, I tell you!" the brunette exclaimed, attempting to convince his firend as they reached the entrance of a cave covered with gnarled vines._

_"All right, suppose there really is a monster. Think we can beat it by ourselves, Sora?" the silver haired boy asked and Sora attained a triumphant pose._

_"No problem! Let's do it!" Suddenly a noise that sounded like a growl emerged from within the cave and Sora motioned towards it. "Listen! There! Can you hear it growling?" The silver haired boy got almost into a crouching position and led his friend quietly inside._

_"Shh, quiet. We've gotta be careful." Suddenly the two emerged within the cave and saw nothing there but a rubble of rocks that were barren and lifeless surrounding the place. The silver haired boy scoffed again. "See that? It's just the wind making that noise." And that statement had been true. Sora looked visibly disappointed._

_"Ah, man. I wish it were a monster!" Then Sora noticed something. "Hold on! What's that over there?" They turned and saw a plain brown door, yellow markings surrounding the edges of it._

_"A window…or maybe a door?" the silver haired boy said and tried to pry at the edges of the door but to no avail. "It won't open."_

_"Geez, is that's really all that's in here?" Sora asked in annoyance and his friend shrugged._

_"What do you expect in a boring place like this?" the silver haired boy responded and for a moment, things were silent. "Hey, Sora."_

_"Hm?"_

_"When we grw up, let's get off this island. We'll go on real adventures, not this kid stuff!" Sora nodded his head._

_"Sure. But isn't there anything fun to do now?" Sora asked, beginning to walk off before a thought hit him, his back to his best friend. "Hey, you know the new girl at the mayor's house She arrived on the night of the meteor shower!"_

Sora laid Leon's body down next to the other dead that were managed to be brought back to the castle. For a moment, Sora almost received a shock when he saw Hayner lying there but he was soon able to discern that Hayner's body and chest was rising and falling with the movements of his breathing. As he continued his panoramic view of the room he saw Aladdin, clutching his leg in pain while Aerith tended to it. Sora caught her eyes and her eyes strayed on Leon's body. Her eyes widened, but she said nothing more, merely continuing on with her work. Sora saw Kairi next to Riku, clutching her shoulders in pain while Riku massaged the bleeding scar on his back. Gentai was perhaps the only one of them not in pain, looking around in despair at the sight. He locked eyes with Sora and nodded. Sora strode over to him, soon joined by Mickey, Melissa, Riku and Kairi.

"I don't think there's any way we can send a whole army out there again, Sora." Riku said in frustration and Sora could do nothing but nod at his silver haired friend. "We're going to lose this battle…everything we fought for."

"Don't say that Riku! It can't be over…not yet!" Kairi remonstrated him with a light slap on his shoulder. He hung his head, a lock of his silver hair, sliding over his eyes. "But what do we do?"

"Remember this, Onyx is still human." Gentai said strongly to the group, which prompted a confused look from all of them, even King Mickey. "He may have the power of Kingdom Hearts but he still remains, as do we, a human. He still has all the flaws of a human being, not a god as he wishes to be."

"Then he has some sort of weakness, doesn't he?" Sora said, a small smile appearing on his lips and Gentai responded with a nod. He soon turned toward Melissa.

"He's your brother," Gentai said to her and she locked her own eyes with his. "So then, what would you say is his number one weakness above all others." Melissa put a finger to her chin and pondered this very thing. It took her a minute to finally devise something.

"His arrogance." That was the response, plain and simple. It was such a simple thing that could prove to be Onyx's undoing and yet…it was as if it was the hope dangled before them on a string that may snap soon. "He'll naver back down from a fight, or its rules once they're placed before him. He always wants to show he's the better man."

"He did that with you at Crown Fortress, kept fighting you one on one, even though he could have summoned Unbirths…" Riku commented and Melissa jerked her head in affirmation. Riku folded his arms and stared briefly at the floor. "Then we have to challenge him and him alone to a battle."

"I don't know about 'we' but someone has to." Sora said with concern and now it was Sora's turn to receive the confused looks. "Look, we can't send everybody, he'll never agree to that unless he's so confident and is going to kill us all."

"He's right." Gentai stated simply before dropping a proclamation on them. "That's why I'm going to go." Their sight snapped on to him, surprised at his willingness to possibly go towards death. But no one was going to let him go alone.

"And I'm going with you!" Sora said confidently and Gentai nodded, accepting the help.

"So am I!" Melissa proclaimed quickly after Sora made his announcement but Gentai shook his head. She fixed him with a completely exasperated look. "Excuse me, he's my brother!"

"And from what I know, you've fought him twice and suffered wounds both times. I don't think you're well enough to face him." Gentai said, folding his arms and glaring at her. Sora nodded in agreement.

"I agree. It needs to be us two alone." Kairi and Riku started forward in protest. "No, please don't argue! Look, Kairi, you suffered serious wounds out there today and so did you Riku. I don't want to lose you again, Kairi. Don't make me do it." Sora pleaded with her by a look in his eyes.

"Sora, you can't do this!" Kairi said, finally getting her strangled words out. "If you two are going to go, at least take His Majesty with you." Kairi insisted on this point, looking to Mickey hopefully but he shook his head.

"Nope…I'm sorry fellas but this is their fight. We can only help if they…" Mickey said, with a sad look in his eyes, not even finishing his sentence. Gentai glanced at him and seemed to read him, discovering exactly why Mickey would refuse to fight. He understood…and only hoped that Mickey's faith was not misplaced. Kairi looked ready to break down and cry.

"I'm sorry Kairi, but at least you guys can go to the castle ramparts and watch our battle. I have no doubt we'll meet him at Villain's Vale." Sora said and Gentai chuckled a bit as a sign of agreement.

"That's true. When he sees the two of us, he'll get ready for a fight." Gentai stated. Riku walked up to the both of them and placed a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Well then, you guys better be careful. I don't want to see either of you die again out there." Riku said with a small smile and both his friends gave him a high five. Riku withdrew away from them and the two looked at each other, their determination set. But Kairi wouldn't let Sora go that easily.

"Please, Sora, don't do this. There are people here who still need you! People who love you! Homes will have to be rebuilt, the land needs to be restored. You can't just leave them like this. What will happen to the kids without a father and-" Her words were cut off as Sora kissed her, deeper than he ever had before, pouring in all of his emotion to get the point across. Gentai chuckled at the scene and Melissa smiled while Riku shook his head. Sora finally withdrew, clutching Kairi's good luck charm in his hands while she stood there shaking. He placed it into his pocket.

"Don't worry Kairi, I'll come back to you, I promise. I always keep my promises!" Sora said before he and Gentai quickly left the castle without another word.

_"Come on Sora, over here!" an eight year old Kairi cried out to her spiky haired best friend. He quickly ran down the wooden bridge to the small island that was congregated with sloping trees. Sora quickly took a moment to catch his breath._

_"Geez Kairi, you run way too fast for a girl!" Sora complained and Kairi merely giggled, shoving the young boy. He shoved her back and she lost her balance, almost falling into the water below. Sora shot his hand out and caught the girl, who blushed, pulling her back up. Kairi hugged him and then she looked up and noticed the yellow, star-shaped fruits congregating the trees above them._

_"Sora, what are those things? Are they fruit?" Kairi asked as Sora climbed onto a low hanging tree. He swung himself over it and placed his back to its trunk, looking at Kairi as she also climbed onto the tree, sitting next to him._

_"Umm…mom said its something called a paopu fruit or something like that." Sora said, rubbing the back of his head, as if still trying to wring the answer out of it. Kairi giggled again…she giggled a lot around Sora._

_"Why's that? What's so special about it? What makes it different from an apple, or an orange, or a passion fruit?" Kairi asked, cocking her head slightly and Sora laughed loudly._

_"Mom says that it's meant for two people and that when they share one, their lives are joined forever…or something like that." Sora said with a shrug of his shoulders and Kairi thought about this for a moment._

_"Kind of like getting married?" Kairi asked her best friend but he merely shrugged. There was silence for a moment save for the waves crashing against the island. "Hey Sora, when we grow up, would you wanna marry me?" Kairi said with a smile and Sora had an equally bright smile, stretching across his face._

_"Sure Kairi! Yeah! When we grow up, we'll get married!" Sora yelled._

_"And what are you two doing?" a nine year old Riku asked, coming around the side of the hanging paopu tree and leaning against it._

_"Nothing!" the two eight year olds responded quickly, a blush forming on their faces._

Sora and Gentai walked slowly through the now empty Great Maw, as if they were walking towards their very doom. There was a very large amount of dead bodies now covering the ground there; the Horned King's standing out among all of them. But Gentai and Sora ignored them, pushing past with determination in their mind. They knew that this would be the end of everything, all of it depending on the moves that they made now. Each of them was withdrawn into their thoughts as they approached the Dark Depths. Eventually, they finally did and looked onto the large slab of land where Villain's Vale once stood. On it was a solitary figure and before they even dropped down, they knew who it was. Onyx was staring up at them expectantly. Swiftly they dropped to the lower level and proceeded forward through the ravine, climing up the slope until they reached the land that Onyx was standing on. No words were exchanged for a moment.

"I'm impressed Sora…you actually came." Onyx said sneeringly before giving a look to Gentai. "Even if you are not alone…but I suppose I can allow it. No one man would be able to defeat me."

"We didn't come together because one couldn't defeat you but because of the strength of our friends. It's because of them that we can fight and because of them that we will not fail." Sora said sternly and Onyx let off a hollow laugh that surrounded the entire region. He glanced into each of the Keyblade wielders eyes.

"So, you believe that friends give you strength? Their lives…their hopes…their dreams…Where do they come from? Where will they go in the end?" Onyx lowered his head briefly. "None of it means anything!! When these worlds are mine, you'll know true despair under the reign of my darkness!" Onyx's gaze suddenly shifted onto Gentai and he clutched his head in absolute pain. Sora gave a start as his friend fell to the ground, shaking in agony. Sora was subjected to watching this, knowing full well that Onyx was trying to goad him to attack.

"What are you doing to him?!" Sora cried out angrily and Onyx sneered.

"All that pain is what truly fills his heart! How can you battle me with a heart that has burdens such as this?! It is all hopeless for you." Onyx said with a snicker but Gentai finally stopped writhing on the ground in agony and began to stand up.

"Because…we have our friends! And we have dreams!" Gentai said, standing up and summoning a Keyblade to his hand. But it was not the Kingdom Key that he had been summoning, but nor was it Pale Twilight. It was bronze and gold, twisted to form the shaft with a very ornate handle. It's blade was three swords crossed, two going opposite diagonally and the other straight up. The Keychain from the end was a small replica of the castle here in Radiant Garden. It was Hikaru's old Keyblade. "We have dreams worth dying for!!"

"Dreams?" Onyx said with a glance. "Dreams are worth nothing. What can your starved dreams possibly do for you? And what can you do with them?" Gentai stepped forward one step.

"We can believe in our friends and persist in the future! That's what we'll do!" Gentai said, the Keyblade held aloft while both Sora and Gentai fixed Onyx with a stare of death. Onyx let out a rather theatrical sigh.

"Oh, you would have made this easier by just subjecting to my rule…both of you could have had so much potential if you had ruled under me." Onyx said, shaking his head in abject disappointment. Now, Sora was the one to step forward.

"You don't get it, do you?" Sora cried out angrily. "We don't want to be subjected to your rule! What we want most…IS FREEDOM!!" At this, Sora summoned his Keyblade while Gentai summoned Pale Twilight to his left hand. Onyx quickly scoffed as he summoned Nightwatch to his right hand and shifted it to his left.

"Freedom…" Onyx scoffed out, facing away from them. He briefly faced the imposing cliffs in Radiant Garden. Then he whipped around to face them. "Freedom is nothing more than an illusion. If you want freedom…then you can BURN IN HELL!!!!!" With this, he raised his right hand. Suddenly, molten lava surrounded the island they were standing on and shields of honeycombed energy surrounded the cliff walls and blocked off any escape route as the three on the slab felt the intense heat radiating off of it. "Only one of our sides will leave here today…and trust me, it will be me and my darkness!"

_"Take a look at this tiny place…" said Riku standing on the shore of a broken beach as Sora, Donald and Goofy ran up to him. Riku, whose voice was not his own, raised his arms to the sky. "To the heart seeking freedom, this island is a prison…surrounded by water. And so, this boy, sought out to escape from his prison. He sought a way to cross over into other worlds…and he opened his heart to darkness." Riku turned around but his body melted away to reveal an older man wearing a cream colored cloak with long silver hair and dark skin, his orange eyes shining brightly._

_"Riku!" Sora cried out, reaching for his vanished friend._

_"Don't bother. Your voice can no longer reach him where he is. His heart belongs again to darkness." Ansem, or rather Xehanort's Heartless told him. "All worlds begin in darkness. And all so end. The heart is no different. Darness sprouts within it, it grows, consumes it. Such is it's nature. "His body suddenly vanished and appeared behind the trio. "In the end, every heart returns to the darkness whence it came. You see, darkness is the heart's true essence."_

_"That's not true!" Sora claimed immediately. "The heart may be weak, and sometimes, it may even give in…but I've learned that deep down there's a light that never goes out!"_

Sora rushed at Onyx first. He thrust Kingdom's Crown forward but Onyx blocked it, knocking it away from his body. Sora quickly spun and both blunt ends of their Keyblades connected with one another, a standoff. Sora made another hit for his head but Onyx knocked it away, forcing Sora to go for his legs. Onyx easily jumped over this attack and moved to bring Nightwatch slicing straight down onto Sora's exposed flank. But Sora was too quick for him and managed to roll away as the Keyblade struck the ground floor. Sora came right back at Onyx who twirled around in a circle, forcing Sora's Keyblade back. Now Gentai had come to engage the Key of Darkness. He struck out with one Keyblade which was blocked before shifting around his body in a twist to strike with the other. Unfortunately, Onyx was able to push off Gentai's first Keyblade to block the second. Gentai leapt off and charged at him again, both Keyblades thrusting forward. Onyx quickly used his Keyblade to send them upwards and away from his body. Quick as a shot, Onyx leapt backward and tossed his Keyblade at Sora to keep him from advancing forward.

Then, quick as the eye could blink, he hurled an orb of intense magical energy at Gentai who crossed his Keyblades to block the blow. But Onyx waved his hands and a number of bluish-white orbs surrounded the Key of the Future. Gentai held his weapons to bear as the orbs started to zero in on him. With quick ferocity he brought his Keyblades down upon the orbs, smashing through them and breaking them into pieces. However, for a time they kept coming. At that moment, Onyx had summoned back his Keyblade and was dueling Sora. He spun his Keyblade around to knock off the Keyblade Master's charge which forced Sora back. Onyx lashed out with his foot. That foot connected with Sora's chest and sent him flying. He landed just short of the sloping ledge that led into the lava. Onyx turned his attention back to Gentai who had just finished eliminating the orbs that had pursued him. With a snap of his fingers, those same orbs surrounded Onyx and with a cry he sent them off in a stream after Gentai.

"Damn!" Gentai exclaimed and flipped backward to escape the torrent of magic orbs being sent his way. As Onyx sent them at him he was laughing loudly and maniacally. Gentai landed on his feet and began to run around the perimeter of the stone slab, avoiding himself from getting too close so as not to run into the lava. Eventually, Gentai flipped forward and used his crossed Keyblades as a shield that absorbed the magic blow before he ran forward at Onyx, who was now in the middle, expanding his Keyblades. He leapt into the air and came down upon Onyx with both his Keyblades. Onyx's Keyblade shot up and blocked the blow, pushing him off. Gentai landed gracefully on the ground as Onyx snapped his fingers. A bright light appeared under him and multiple orbs of magic surrounded him in a trap. Knowing that there was no way for escape Gentai huddled against himself and brought up a reflect shield to block against the blow. Thankfully, Sora was able to pick up on his partner's slack.

Without thinking, Onyx raised a fist and a large earthen crater erupted from the ground to impede Sora's progress. But Sora leapt back before jumping forward, swinging his Keyblade with impossible strength and cleaving right through the stone that Onyx had used to protect himself. Sora rushed and spun in place only to have his Keyblade meet Onyx's with a definite clang before he pushed Onyx off of him. He twirled his Keyblade around in front of him before bringing it underneath as an attempt to slice upward. Onyx knocked it down again and prepared once more to make a strike, his hand burning with red flame. As Onyx let off the roaring flame at his opponent who had jumped back, a black and white Keyblade shot forward and blocked the blow before its partner lashed at the caster. Onyx reacted quickly, his blade coming up vertically and blocking against the blow. Gentai pushed forward and Onyx gritted his teeth. Sparks began to radiate from the grating weapons. Onyx finally pushed him off and sent a raging lightning storm at the Key of the Future. Gentai began spinning his Keyblades and suddenly, the two of them seemed joined by the hilt and spinning as one. Their intense whirring and energy absorbed the lightning until Gentai spun it out of its cycle and was standing once more with two Keyblades, the lightning having stopped.

Without missing a beat, Gentai ran forward and spun, both Keyblades knocking against Onyx's who batted the Keyblades away and spun around to attack at Gentai. Gentai dove both his Keyblades inward and came into an upper stroke to knock the Keyblade in. Sora's Keyblade darted inward and Onyx spun to give him distance from the Keyblade wielders. Gentai struck out with one of his own Keyblades which Onyx came and blocked but his second Keyblade came hurtling out of nowhere and Onyx was forced to quickly break free of Gentai's first Keyblade to block the second. But Gentai wouldn't go down easily and quickly repeated his process in an attempt to break Onyx's defense down. Onyx was pushed back little by little at this maneuver and he realized it. Soon, he crashed his Keyblade upon both of Gentai's and, using his momentum, flipped himself over to strike at the back of his foe. Gentai whipped around and knocked the blow away, locking blades with Onyx.

Sora came running at Onyc but once more, Onyx formed whirling orbs of energy around him to stop the advance. This also forced Gentai to withdraw to avoid himself from getting burned by the spells. With both of the heroes withdrawn Onyx expanded the ring outward. Both of them erected reflect shields to protect themselves. When the threat had passed, Gentai dropped his shield. Onyx rushed at him and the two once more locked blades, turning around slowly so that there were now opposite to what they were before. Gentai pushed forward as Onyx brought his knee up and nailed Gentai on his inner thigh, close to his crotch. Gentai grimaced in pain as Onyx lashed out with his foot and kicked Gentai in the stomach, sending him flying backwards. Before Sora could make his strike at him however, he sent a shard of ice which hurtled right at Gentai's stomach and impaled him there.

"Gentai!" Sora yelled and faced his foe with a blazing fury in his eyes.

_"Who the heck is this kid?" Sora asked, his thumb pointing to a boy he had never seen before: a boy with short brown hair sporting a Keyblade that had snaking black and white patterns, whose blade was a crown. Kairi giggled at her boyfriend's thick-headedness while Riku chuckled._

_"Hey, it's not kid!' he quickly announced to Sora and Sora stepped backward from the young fifteen year old. "I have a name you know." Riku once more chuckled at Sora's confused expression._

_"Sora, meet Gentai Tanaka, he's another Keyblade wielder." Riku stated to his best friend and Sora arched an eyebrow. His eyes wandered off and saw Zexion approaching them while the boy, Gentai, took a stance of pride._

_"Yup! The Key of the Future!" Gentai said, as if this title was now something important to him and now it was Sora's turn to chuckle. But his chuckle was joined by another man's chuckle. A red haired man who looked extraordinarily like Kairi._

_"And who are you?" Sora asked, once more confused. The man held out his hand to Sora but Sora was slightly reluctant to take it. Kairi giggled however and he looked at her._

_"That's my brother, Hikaru." Kairi said and Sora looked shocked, unable to utter a completely coherent sentence while Riku laughed at his best friend's predicament. Gentai soon turned to face all four of them._

_"Hey guys, isn't Zexion coming right for us? We need to fight!" Gentai said and all of them nodded, summoning their Keyblades while Hikaru unsheathed his katana._

With a cry of rage, Sora ran at Onyx and made a blow for his head. Quickly and sharply, Onyx deflected the blow away from him. But Sora immediately shifted around and aimed at the other side. Yet once again he was thwarted in his attempts to defeat Onyx. The two started to battle even quicker, if that was possible. Sora whirled around to have his blow blocked at Onyx's side before twirling around again to block Onyx's blow to _his_ side. Sora thirsted at Onyx's chest but Onyx whirled it off and the two broke away from each other, both of them holding their Keyblades beside them. Out of the corner of Sora's eyes he saw Gentai stirring and saw the large pool of blood beneath his chest. Sora pushed his mind away from it and with righteaous fury sent a projectile of light surging out of his Keyblade and aiming towards Onyx. Onyx sidestepped it and the projectile flew away from his body.

"Missed." Onyx said smugly but Sora raised his hand and clenched a fist, his mind focusing on the projectile hitting Onyx. He put on his own smug smile.

"I don't think so." Sora said as the light projectile came flying back. Onyx turned around in shock as it hammered him in the stomach. It didn't seem to do an intense amount of damage but it did send him reeling a moment, granting Sora the perfect opportunity to strike. He came to strike at Onyx's opposed figure but Onyx moved with surprising speed and whipped his Keyblade up, causing Sora to stumble backward. Onyx's foot whipped across the ground and tripped Sora, causing him to fall onto the ground. Onyx stood up fully and aimed his Keyblade at Sora's chest but Pale Twilight knocked the blade away. Onyx scowled as he looked at the form of the heavy breathing but healed Gentai.

"Don't you ever just give up, boy?" Onyx sneered at his opponent. Gentai smirked at Onyx.

"I haven't gone through death and nothingness to just give up now." He forced the Keyblade away and summoned a large brust of water that jettisoned up from the ground surrounding Onyx before sending awave at him. Onyx surrounded his body with electricity and the water phased over him. "So why don't you just surrender already, huh?" Sora was now up and Gentai tossed his Keyblades through the air. Sora dashed through the air faster than almost light, using each of the Keyblades as a step, vaulting him into the air as the Keyblades returned to the master. He came sending down, his Keyblade tip shining with the brightest light. Onyx whipped around and blocked off the attack, but he got pushed back as Sora landed with his Keyblade in the ground, causing a mighty shake. Onyx waved his hands and suddenly large rocks parted from the base of the ground and began whirling around his figure. Sora glanced at Gentai and they nodded. Sora whirled his Keyblade around and soon a large tornado erupted out of it. Gentai ran forward and jumped into it, both his Keyblades sticking it. His body began whirling but he focused his mind and his aura. Sora controlled the cyclone forward and Gentai cut through the rocks that seemed almost brittle against the force of the two Keys combination. When at last the final rock was destroyed, the cyclone finished near Sora and deposited an unfazed Gentai, ready for battle.

Onyx scowled in anger, knowing that this battle, unfortunately for him, was nowehere near over. He knew that the longer this battle wore on, the more chance they stood of actually winning. He rushed at them, but the duo had obvious other plans. Sora held out his Keyblade and Gentai leapt on to it. Before Sora could lose the momentum, he flung Gentai off, sending him sailing straight for Onyx, one Keyblade behind his back and the second facing forward. Gentai collided with Onyx and sent him toppling before flipping off and landing gracefully. Onyx flipped himself up and thrust at Gentai. Gentai entered into a spin and knocked the first blow away before his Keyblades became a whirring blur that prevented any attack while Sora rushed in. Onyx and Sora quickly locked blades and exchanged a few blows near each of their mid sections before finally breaking off. Gentai had now stopped his whirring and ran at Onyx.

Onyx lashed out with his foot at Sora but Sora managed to evade it by jumping backwards. Onyx turned towards Gentai to stall him and sent a ribbon of darkness arching out from his Keyblade, hurtling towards the Key of the Future. Gentai stopped his advance and from both of his Keyblades sent out a ribbon of light. The two horizontal ribbons of Gentai's collided with Onyx's vertical ribbon. Gentai pushed forward with willpower and broke through Onyx's. With a whirling of his Keyblades the ribbons of light wrapped themselves around Onyx, trapping and ensnaring him. Gentai went to make his move but with a mighty battle roar, darkness surrounded Onyx's body and broke off the constraints. He glared venomously at his two opponents.

"You don't understand it do you, you fools? Everything that drives you forward, your hopes, your dreams, your friends themselves shall fade into darkness!!" Onyx spat at the two of them but Gentai shook his head.

"You're absolutely pathetic if you think that. Our friends give us strength, and that's something you can't take away from us!" Gentai asserted strongly and Onyx glared at him. Sora took a step forward.

"He's right. Our friends is what keeps us going and as long as we draw on their strength then that bond will never die. You're the fool Onyx, that's why your reign is at an end!" Sora said, holding his Keyblade out towards Onyx. Onyx scowled and bared his Keyblade before him.

_"What I said back there, about thinking I was better at stuff than you…" Riku said to Sora as they sat on the Dark Meridian, feeling the waves cascade around their feet. Sora made a noise of acknowledgement. "To tell you the truth, Sora…I was jealous of you."_

_"What for?" Sora asked his best friend in utter confusion._

_"I wished I could live life the way you did. Just following my heart." Riku responded, betraying one of his deepest fears._

_"Yeah, well, I've got my share of problems too." Sora said and Riku turned briefly to look at him._

_"Like what?" the silver haired Keyblade wielder responded._

_"Like wanting to be like you." Sora confided and Riku scoffed for a moment._

_"Well, there is one advantage to being me…something you could never imitate." Riku said with a slight smile on his face. Sora quickly turned to look at him with an exasperated look on his face._

_"Really? What's that?" Sora asked, eager to know what he could never imitate in his best friend._

_"Having you for a friend." Riku answered and Sora looked taken aback. He turned away from Riku and stared out into the black sky._

_"Then I guess…I'm okay the way I am. I've got something you could never imitate too." Sora said and the two friends smiled as the closed their eyes, listening to the sound of the waves. Suddenly Riku felt something knock against his feet. It turned out to be a bottle, a piece of paper resting inside it. Riku picked the bottle up and uncorked it, drawing out the piece of paper and reading it silently. He turned to his friend._

_"Sora, I think it's for you." Riku said, handing Sora the paper. He took it and began to read aloud._

_"'Thinking of you wherever you are, we pray for our sorrows to end and hope that our hearts will blend. Now I will step forward to realize this wish. And who knows, starting a new journey may not be so hard, or maybe it's already begun. There are many worlds but they share the same sky; one sky, one destiny-Kairi.'" Then a bright light shot out of the darkness in a rectangular shape and both Sora and Riku's eyes were fixed upon it._

_"Light." Riku stated bluntly and Sora stared at it in awe._

_"The door to light…" Sora exclaimed before standing up, the letter still in his hand. He offered his other hand to Riku. "We'll go together." Riku nodded in affirmation and the two stood up, walking towards the bright light which deposited them through a sky in a streak of blue light and into the ocean surrounding Destiny Islands. The two quickly broke the surface of the water. It was sunrise._

_"Sora! Riku!" cried Kairi's voice from the shore and when Sora turned, he saw her waving. He laughed and both he and Riku started swimming towards the shore. Sora quickly reached the shallow end and started running only to suddenly be tackled by Donald and Goofy while Mickey leapt at Riku, all of the friends embracing. Kairi giggled at the sight. Sora finally extricated himself from his friends before he drew out Kairi's lucky charm._

_"We-we're back!" Sora exclaimed and Kairi smiled at him, holding out her hand to him._

_"You're home." And Sora's hand came forward, her lucky charm locking their hands together. And Sora realized that all of his friends would always be there, no matter what._

A rush of darkness suddenly surrounded Onyx's body as they stared him down. When the darkness subsided they saw him glowing with an unearthly purple glow. This was the end game. They would either survive this onslaught and win, or perish completely. Onyx rushed at them, swinging his Keyblade in wide arcs. Ribbons of darkness continually came out of it and the two used their Keyblades to slice away the attacks and remain unscathed. Onyx leapt up and crashed down, sending a purple shockwave through the area. They leapt into the air and began to flip around in order to avoid Onyx's crazed attacks. But Onyx refused to stop and their strengths were beginning to wane. Onyx rushed at Sora and with intense speed quickly battered him with relentless Keyblade attacks. The battle was so quick that Sora didn't have any time to think at all and was completely forced to rely on instinct. Gentai's blade shot across and broke off Onyx's attack.

Onyx now turned his attention to Gentai while Sora recovered his strength. Gentai, however, seemed to have an easier time of it as he had two Keyblaes rather than just one. But even then, Onyx had soon worn him down. Onyx flipped away with a smirk as Sora and Gentai caught their breaths. He stared at them with pure malevolence and they knew this was the end for them. All they had fought for would amount to nothing. Onyx leapt into the air and spun towards them. But his arrogance, as Melissa had said, and proven to be his undoing. In his rage he left himself wide open to attacks for he had no defense. Gentai whipped his Keyblades upward and in a fluid motion cut off both of Onyx's arms and his legs. Without consulting his partner, Sora whipped his leg around and nailed Onyx in the chest. The Key of Darkness flew further than normal due to his lost weight, sailing into the lava that he himself had created, his Keyblade clattering on the stone slab. For a moment, there was no noise until Onyx began screaming with unendurable pain. Gentai looked down on him.

"You truly are pathetic…" Gentai said, shaking his head as he watched Onyx be consumed be the lava. It was ironic, Sora found himself thinking, he tried to best Edge but in the end, he was consumed by the element that was Edge's name. Sora and Gentai turned to each other and nodded in victoy as the shields broke down, the lava crashing over the shield's boundaries, thinning out. But suddenly they were overcome with a wave of fatigue more powerful than anything. They had defeat Onyx and ended his life…at the cost of their own. They collapsed, breathing heavily, staring up at the sky. Rain started to fall from it, landing upon their faces. Gentai closed his eyes and began crying, his body wracked with sobs. "No more shall sounds of darkness be heard…"

"That's right. It's over…it's done…" Sora breathed out. The bliss that was death was beginning to creep up over his body.

"I wanted…to see Agradar again…in full bloom…Look at it's flowers…it's green fields. See the buildings that towered to the sky. I wanted to restore it to its former glory." Gentai sobbed out. "I would've done it…I would've done it." Sora used what little was left of his strength to climb over to his companion and place a hand on his shoulder.

"Well…if it's worth anything…I'm glad that you fought with me…here at the end of it all." Sora said and Gentai nodded in acknowledgement. Then Sora felt a rush of heat on his fingers and through his entire body, and he knew that the heat of the lava was claiming him. He closed his eyes…and accepted the death that ended life.

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Author's Note: Please don't kill me. Yes, Gentai and Sora are dead but there's still and epilogue guys. I won't guarantee anything but, stay with me for it. At least Onyx is dead, right? Though I did cry writing that ending. Now, review topics: 1) The battle, 2) The structure with the memories, 3) The ending and 4) The conversations and speeches. Now, at the end I feel it is only right to tell you the prophecy came true. Following this, I will underline the prophecy lines and the interpretations will be normal and in parentheses.

**Ere the tower bastion falls**** (Before the Order falls) ****Darkness at last once more shall call/The Wicked One from its depths**** (The Horned King will emerge from the Realm of Darkness) ****And from their hands its world knows death**** (From the Horned King, Prydian will once more be in danger) ****But at the hands of one with pure light/Their power will be broken in that fight**** (Either Kairi or Gentai will defeat the Horned King either at Annuvin or the final battlefield) ****Yet in the Season of the Witch/Their power shall be given a switch**** (When Maleficent's power waxes however, her darkness will enter the Horned King) ****Three creatures rise all at once/As the witch breaks down into dust**** (The Heartless, Nobodies and Unbirths will exist at the same time when Maleficent dies) ****And as two keys defeat the third/No more shall sounds of darkness be heard**** (As Sora and Gentai defeat Onyx, the threat of darkness will be no more).**

**Yes, very complicated, but all true. Either way, I hope you enjoyed the chapter but stay tuned for the epilogue which should be up by Monday, Tuesday at the latest. Please review and Dare to Be Silly.**


	25. Epilogue: End of An Era

**DISCLAIMER: For the last time in this trilogy: I DON'T OWN IT!!!!**

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Epilogue

End of an Era

The water swished back and forth across the pale and sandy beach. The water itself was clear, so clear that it wouldn't even seem blue on the nicest day with the bluest sky. Instead it would appear as if the water was glass itself, so fragile, so easy to break but soothing all the same as it washed across the sand. The sand itself was fine, and extraordinarily, was not wet at all. It wouldn't get stuck on the bottom of someone's feet in the slightest or in between someones toes. It was the nicest sand there was. Beyond this beautiful white shore were rolling meadows filled with a multitude of green grass that was amazing for the eye to see. It was here that Sora found himself standing, garbed in white, soft, clothing that made him feel comfortable. The sight was familiar to him, he had seen it once before and had it described to him a second time a year later. Sora looked down the shore and saw Gentai standing there, garbed in similar clothing. Sora looked at his hands to find that they were perfect and unblemished and that all dirt which had crowded his face prior was now all disappeared. Gentai strode toward him, a confused look on his face.

"Where are we?" Gentai asked, his brow furrowed, wondering where in all of the worlds they could be and why they were dressed in this way.

"You're home." a female voice answered and Gentai's breathing caught in his throat. Both Sora and Gentai turned to face the speaker, their ears unbelieving and Gentai's breath was now officially caught.

"Demora…" he gasped out. And it was true. Demora Suwara stood there, her brown hair flowing behind her. Her green eyes were sparkling with life and a smile was on her face. She was standing only a few feet away but to gentai it seemed like it could be an infinite amount of miles. Sora mulled over Demora's words and came to a solid conclusion.

"So that means that we are-" Sora began to affirm but another voice, this time male, cut across his thoughts. This one was a voice that Sora was surprised to hear.

"Dead? I think that depends really." Said the voice and Sora shifted his body, locking his vision onto the face of Alexander Garibaldi. "You're the ones who have to make that choice, I think."

"He's right you know, you're one of the few lucky ones who get to make a choice." Came yet another vice and this time Gentai was even more frozen upon seeing the face of Hikaru who smiled at him. Sora turned to look at Gentai to see how he was taking it. He was shaking and it didn't help matters that both of these people were right in front of him. Looking up, Gentai was also able to see his parents standing behind them. Tears started to pour from Gentai's eyes in an inexhaustible wave of sadness.

"I'm so sorry…" he said, tears staining his vision and distorting his voice. "I'm so sorry…" And Sora knew in that moment that Gentai had never been able to let them go, never been able to conquer the fact that they had died. He still missed Hikaru and he was still very much in love with Demora.

"Why are you crying Gentai?" Demora asked sweetly but Gentai was unable to form a response at that moment. Gentai still remained standing there, tears falling unabashedly down his face. He then collapsed to his knees.

"I failed you…" Gentai sobbed out. "I let you die…all of you…I promised I wouldn't fail you again but I did. Look at what I did." He sat there, silently crying over his failure while Sora just watched his tears stain the sand beneath them. A hand was offered to Gentai and Gentai looked up, seeing Hikaru stretching his hand out. Gentai shakingly took it and Hikaru helped him up, shaking his head.

"You're wrong Gentai. You didn't fail, in fact, I'd say you surpassed all expectations." Gentai looked at him with reddened eyes and a confused look on his face. "That keyblade, my Keyblade, you wield it now as a sign that you've surpassed me as its wielder. It is ture that you did untold amounts of damage but you did just as much trying to remedy it."

"The future is now yours to shape as you will. Onyx is gone as is the threat of darkness, destroyed forever." Edge said, a twinkle in his eyes. "I think you did the greatest things for the worlds."

"But…I let all of you die…" Gentai said in a sad tone. Demora sighed theatrically.

"Oh Gentai…you were always one to blame things on yourself. Why can't you just get over it?" Demora snapped and Gentai looked at her. She smiled at him. "Who cares if we died, the important point is that you lived. I know you've been tortured by these thoughts but really, move on. Find someone else to spend your life with. I'll always be here when you return."

"But…Demora…I could never stop loving you." Gentai said, shaking his head, a slight chuckle escaping his lips. Demora walked up to him and stood on the tip of her toes, kissing him on his forehead.

"I know…I know you can't…but I'm not there anymore. I'm here and always will be. You need to move on and live your life and love those you live with." Gentai nodded at her words, accepting them more than anything. Edge looked at both Sora and Gentai.

"Now, you must make the decision to stay in this life…or go back." Edge said and Sora looked at him trying to formulate a decision. Sora breathed in deeply for a moment.

"Anyone would want to stay here. It's beautiful. I can't see anyone going back to the real world when they could live in this." Sora stated and everyone nodded around him. Sora, however, stared straight into Edge's eyes. "But I have a wife and kids back there and a world that needs cleaning up. I'm going back to them."

"I was hoping you'd say that." Hikaru said with a laugh. "I would've beaten you if you said you were planning on abandoning my sister."

"Oh, I think we should do more than that, son." Came a distinctly rich and British voice, the blond haired form of Ansem the Wise appearing. Sora smiled, facing Gentai.

"I know my decision, what about you Gentai?" Sora asked of his brown haired friend. Gentai stared down at the ground for a moment. Hikaru spoke up once again.

"You must make the decision to either stay here with the people you love and who love you…or go back to the people who need you. It's your decision." Hikaru told him and for a moment, Gentai continued to stare at the ground. Then he looked up.

"It's enough to know that you're proud of me." Gentai said. "I'm going to go back." That was it, a simple statement but so important. Sora nodded at him. He looked at the friends who had come to see them and nodded. Edge spread his arms out and pointed down the shore. Sora smiled and began to lead Gentai down that way. They didn't say a single word to the others but as they seemed to be reaching the end of the shore. Both turned back and saw even more people standing there. Still remaining there was Demora, Hikaru, Gentai's parents and Edge as well as Ansem the Wise. But behind them was the red-haired form of Axel, lazily saluting him, the three knights of Terra, Ventus, and Aqua and eleven other figures, three of which were very familiar. One of the figures, a female, turned to the three.

"Well, Orddu, Orgoch, Orwen, are you happy now? You were right all along." Said the woman loudly.

"Oh, nonsense" said all three at once. "It was just as the loom predicted it would be." The woman rolled her eyes before turning to a man.

"Well, Flaron, could we not have entrusted the future to any better stewards?" the woman asked and the man, Flaron, chuckled.

"No…I don't believe so…and now the future is theirs, Gail…to live and shape as they wish it." Flaron said, a chuckle on his voice. Sora turned and looked at Gentai who, for the first time in over twelve years, truly smiled. Not a smirk or anything else but a pure smile. Then, together, the two walked off to their world.

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Sora opened his eyes blearily. He wasn't sure of what he saw at first because his vision was completely blurred. All he knew was that it was a large mass of white, pink, and blue but he couldn't discern a shape. For some odd reason, he felt no pain inside of him or on any point of his body. He moved his hand and felt sheets beneath them. He gasped. He could _feel_. His hands were no longer burnt. He could touch things without pain. There was a loud noise beside him, like someone almost falling off of a chair. His eyes snapped open and he saw Kairi standing there.

"Kairi!" Sora yelled out and she smiled at him. She descended on him and kissed him, tears of joy coming from her eyes, all the while calling him a lazy bum. He laughed as she did so, chancing a glance at his hand. The skin was restored. He lifted it up to marvel at this miracle. Kairi caught him looking at it. She shifted her weight around and lied down next to him.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Kairi said with a smile as she cuddled up to Sora. "The same thing happened with Riku. When that rain came Riku's scars were suddenly gone. All of our pain was alleviated so we brought the wounded out and it healed them. His Majesty says that it was Kingdom Hearts being released." Sora shifted around and relaxed on the bed. He turned his head toward Kairi.

"So…Kairi, tell me what happened after we defeated Onyx." Sora asked, an inquisitive gleam in her eyes. "Were you guys able to get rid of the lava?" Kairi nodded knowingly.

"Oh yeah. His Majesty, Merlin and Gentai just managed to finish vanishing it yesterday." Kairi said, her head cocked slightly. Sora looked at her with a befuddled expression on his face.

"Gentai's already up?" Sora asked, concerned over his battle partner's well-being. Kairi laughed sweetly for a moment.

"Uh-huh, you've been out for five days. He was up two days ago. I swear, none of us know what that guy is made of. Anyway, I believe you asked a question and it's rude to interrupt." Kairi lightly whacked him on the arm. The sun finished creeping into the room and Sora figured that it was morning. "Anyway, when you guys defeated Onyx everybody started cheering, heroes and villains alike. Pete let loose some of his bombs as fireworks…but Riku and I, we noticed you two weren't coming back. We were watching the whole battle but you didn't come back. So, me, Riku, His Majesty, Melissa, and Merlin went out to look for you. It was quite easy to get to you even with the rain. It was strange because everyone who sided with Onyx and even some villains who still relied on the darkness were destroyed by that rain."

"Really? Hmm…" Sora put a thoughtful finger to his chin before he sat up. "Sounds like I was right all along: Kingdom Hearts is light. But anyway, what about the Unbirths, the Heartless, and the Nobodies?"

"Vanished with Onyx. The second Onyx hit the floor…or lava, and it began to rain they just disappeared like they were never there." Sora nodded his head thoughtfully. _No more shall sounds of darkness be heard…_Was what Gentai said absolutely true? Was it all over? But Kairi was speaking again and he directed his attention onto her. "When we got there, His Majesty and Merlin were busy holding back the flow of lava. They managed to cease its flow and started to vanish it. When we finally found you there was no pulse and we thought you were…you were…" She choked up at this part but Sora put a comforting hand on her shoulder to urger her on. "There's was no pulse in either of your bodies. We tried for almost half an hour before Riku said he could feel something. Then he slung you over his back while Melissa and I carried Gentai up to the castle and now…here you are, five days later."

"Wow…I think I look pretty good for being dead for half an hour." Sora said with a wide grin and Kairi smacked him. Sora then started tickling her and inbetween her bouts of uncontrollable laughter she fell to the floor. She stood up soon after however and brushed herself off.

"You know, Riku, His Majesty, Gentai and the kids are all waiting outside to see you. Should I go get them?" Sora nodded happily and Kairi left the room. Sora laid back against the sheets and stared at the canopy. He could hear the voices of his friends outside. What Demora said was true…his friends would always be there for him and he would be there for them. And when they entered the room, he embraced them happily.

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"Change can be the hardest part." Sora found himself saying later that afternoon to a large group of people that constituted the entire army and their families. He had arranged a funeral for all those who had died. He figured that it would be fitting hallmark to all of them. However, nobody dressed in black. Hayner was helped into his chair by Olette, Kairi and Riku sat together at the front giving Sora encouraging glances and smiles while Mickey sat with Donald, Goofy and even Pete. Gentai and Melissa were also in the front row, Melissa being a little closer to Gentai than she had been before. Many of Sora's other friends were filed in behind them. And Sora knew that the words he was speaking were true. "Even if it that change is for a future that is brighter it is still difficult. We…lost many people in the battle five days ago and within the war itself; people who gave their lives to secure this brighter future that we and our children can look forward to and build together. If it weren't for these people, then the battle would have meant nothing. No person is worth nothing and neither are they. So, raise your glasses. To the victorious dead!"

"Hail!" the hall cried and they drunk to the memory of the fallen. Sora placed his cup down and still the hall remained quiet. They were all going back home tomorrow and he couldn't let them go without saying another word. He looked to second row and saw Cloud and Tifa sitting together, their hands clasped together. Yuffie's head was hung low and Aerith merely had a blotchy red area around his eyes while Cid was trying, and failing miserably, to look manly and not cry. "I would also…like all of you to raise your glasses to one man in particular. Squall Leonhart was a brave man who paid with his blood to see this world rebuilt into the lovely place it once was. Without him, I don't think that we could have attained victory because he was the one who made sure all of us were brought together. In my absence he knitted the pieces that made this army what it was. Because of him…we can all look towards a brighter future…a future without darkness…a future we can create. I'll say again that change is the hardest part but I believe that if we work together then we can create a future that we ourselves never knew before this. To Squall Leonhart!"

And they drank. Those words stuck with everyone through the evening as they celebrated their victory now that Sora was awoken. Sora was forced to clasp the hands of the bereaved and cry tears of joy with the cheerful. But there was only one person's company he wanted. He needed to talk to him because only Gentai could understand exactly what Sora was going through. And Kairi understood that, which was why she chatted with Riku and Melissa through the party. But Sora was still smiling as he greeted Jim whose role in the war now made him Admiral Hawkins and Silver was due to receive a Medal of Honor. He was happy as he saw Aladdin unharmed and whole. But then he glanced to the balcony where the sun was setting, filling it with a golden glow. There he saw Gentai's form, leaning on the railing, staring out at it. He quickly walked over to him.

"What'cha out here for?" Sora asked as he stepped outside and Gentai turned to him. "The party's inside." Gentai shrugged and turned back to watching the sunset.

"Never was one much for parties." Gentai said with a smile. "I love the sunset…I told Riku, I watch it every night." Sora looked confusedly at him beyond any comprehension.

"What for?" Sora asked and Gentai chuckled, turning to face Sora.

"Because I would never know if I would ever see it again. I didn't know when I was going to die so I looked towards it to never forget. Now…I can look towards it and see a future." Gentai smiled at him and Sora laughed. But his grin soon dropped.

"Hey Gentai, I forgot to thank you…for fighting with me. I know how hard it must have been for you to endure what you did. I'm sorry I couldn't understand before." Sora said with a sad smile and Gentai chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

"It's okay. I was lost…confused, but I think I'm okay now. I came back consciously." Gentai said with determination set on his face. "I told Terra twelve years ago that you shouldn't let the past shape who you are and now…I think it's time that I followed my own advice. After all…now I understand what a hero is. It's not someone who tries to destroy the demons of others for themselves but tries to destroy the demons of themselves for others. In other words…following your heart to the light. I told Zeus I couldn't understand all those years ago…but I think I can now." Sora nodded in acceptance.

"So then, uh, what are you gonna do now?" Sora asked, wondering where Gentai could go from here.

"Tomorrow I'm leaving with His Majesty for some training. Melissa's going with me. Then, after that, I'm going to restore Agradar." Gentai said and Sora nodded with a smile. "You don't mind if I come to visit now and then do you?"

"Not at all…after all, Demora needs a new godfather and who better than you?" Gentai laughed at that. The two then gave each other a high five as Sora and Gentai smiled at each other.

"You know…for the first time in thirteen years since I left on this crazy quest…I'm actually glad that I did it." Gentai said and Sora laughed. After all, he was exactly right.

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The following day was completely chaotic as everyone got on their designated Gummi Ships. Sora had to see a large number of them off, but this was thankfully helped along by Cid who overtook this position from Leon due to his intense knowledge of Gummi Ships. Sora bid goodbye to Jim as he left with his new girlfriend, Emily Vance, as well as Silver who gave Sora a bone crushing hug. He parted ways with Adam, Aladdin, Mulan, Hercules, Auron, Zack, and many others who he had come to know over the years. Phoebus came over to him quickly.

"Sora, I have to say, I'm glad you called us in the end." Phoebus said and the two gave each other a brotherly hug before he marched over and met up with Qusaimodo. In the distance, Sora saw Riku hugging a woman named Helen Parr and slapping hands with their kid Dash as they went separate ways. Mickey was busy saying his goodbyes to Cecil Harvey and the gang (minus Kain) as they proceeded to board their Gummi Ship. Sora glanced next to him and saw Gentai saying a farewell to Taran and Eilonwy and he also saw Kim thanking Kairi for getting her and Ron together. Sora wanted so much to assert that he had a part in it but he let it go. Soon he saw Mickey walk over to where Donald, Goofy, Melissa, Gentai, and even Pete were standing near the ship to Disney Castle. Sora walked over to join them. Mickey turned to face him.

"Welp Sora, looks like we're all headin' home!" Mickey said brightly and Sora nodded his head with a smile. He looked to Donald and Goofy and brought them into a hug which they gratefully accepted. He then hugged Melissa and Gentai but refused to hug Pete. But he still smiled at him. If it wasn't for Pete Sora didn't think they ever would have defeated the Horned King. His brave efforts (and the fact that he was still here) allowed King Mickey to let him come back to the castle and reunite with his son P.J. who he hadn't seen in over twenty years. "I'm sure we'll see each other real soon!" Sora nodded at him and the six of them turned to get onto their ship while Riku and Kairi walked up to him. Most of the ships had now left and Mickey's ship was soon revved up. The trio stepped away from it. Sora and Kairi took each other's hands. Kairi looked at Riku.

"So, Riku, what's your plan?" Kairi asked and Riku laughed while scratching the back of his head. He looked down for a moment as they walked up to the ramparts of the castle. He looked back at them.

"Actually, with Leon…sorry, Squall gone I thought that you guys would need someone as captain and…well, if you'd want me I'd be happy to stay here with the remaining Keyblade wielders and lead the army and be an advisor." Riku told Sora and Sora looked at him with an amused expression.

"You won't mind putting yourself under me?" Sora asked with a jibing tone. Riku laughed loudly.

"Don't think I didn't think about it!" Riku said as they reached the ramparts and leaned on it. "So, will you take me on?"

"Of course we will Riku! Cause we're friends!" Sora said and they all smiled, watching out to the horizon as the last ship flew over it and towards its home.

For many generations to come, people would praise the deeds of Sora, Riku and Kairi and the Tale of Gentai Tanaka. Their Parliament of Worlds continued and after few years, cleaned up all of the messes in the worlds. It was with a saddened tragedy that King Mickey Mouse died many years later as a very old mouse but Sora accepted his new status, taking on the role of what Disney Castle was. It was only a year after that which saw the union of his family as well as Hayner and Olette as their son married Jeanette. Demora herself married the accessory shop owner in town and eventually become the head of the economic council on Radiant Garden. Riku's heart was finally able to thaw out and he eventually met a girl named Terra with green hair and very frightening attitude (at least…it was an attitude that could rival Sora's). They married many years later but had no children…but their story is not to be told. Finally, at an old age, Sora, Riku, and Kairi stepped down, allowing Gentai and Jeanette to become king and queen of Radiant Garden while the three of them returned to Destiny Islands where they spent the remainder of ther days…for all stories must end.

In the case of Gentai Tanaka, he did indeed return to Disney Castle and for many hours a day would train with King Mickey, mastering his emotions and the pain he had previously felt. Melissa Ardintous would always be there to cheer him on. It was strange to Gentai as he finally felt himself falling in love with her. He didn't even notice it until after a visit to Sora one weekend. He trained with her in the courtyard and when the two had finally doubled up laughing she rested her head on his shoulder and he rested his head on hers. Many years later, the two returned to Agradar and with their combined magical prowess after training under Mickey they had at last managed to restore Agradar, naming them heroes and granting them a constellation in the sky in their own rights. The children they then had after getting married became a founding lineage for the world that would eventually give birth to the line of Mortic Ilman, who became president of Agradar after the events following Windsor's old weapon Oblivion…but his is not a story that should be told amidst these. Overall, the Keyblade wielders became obsolete but not in the way Onyx had planned. They were no longer needed to protect a safe world.

Because now, the world was for those who lived within it to live in freedom, to make their own choices. For you see, in the grand scheme of everything, a few decades is no more than a fleeting dream, an eye blink, a brief moment in time. But for all the people in the worlds it comes down to one decision, one moment that can decide everything. It is that one second of everything that counts beyond all measure. The challenge is for people to adapt to change and live in a future without any fear of the darkness. But that gift of freedom is truly one of the most powerful in all of time. Everyone should be able to control their own destiny, their own fate. They should be able to make their own decisions. Truthfully, some choose worse than others but that's how it is in the world. That's how it has been and how it should be; how it was meant to be. And that is why these stories are remembered. Not because they were forced on someone but because of three people who chose to write their own fate and not be bound by history's chains. It is because of them we can live without fear of the darkness and all of it began with the source of all hearts and all light: the light that was called Kingdom Hearts.

THE END

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Author's Note: And at last it is finished! The complete sign that I have been waiting to see for six months is finally there. So review all you happy people and rejoice in this trilogy's end. It took me almost a year to write and I am very glad of doing so. Even though I received very little reviews I am still glad I completed it. Also, I believe I ended it the only way I could: Sora, Riku, and Kairi together at last. I would like to extend a big hearty thank you to Lord Moldybutt, Captain A, and Vergil Theart for all their thought provoking and kindly reviews. Now, the next time you'll hear from me may be for Tales of Existence, a collection of stories that will expand upon what is here. Illusion's Heart will be posted on the anniversary of this trilogy a month from now so put me on Author Alert and do let it be noted that that is a prequel following Gentai Tanaka before Lineage. Now, before I go, some previews of Illusion's Heart:

"**This place has darkness…it's powerful."  
**_**Gentai clutches his head and collapses  
**_"**I cannot do this alone."  
**"**Times like these, darker times, can usually bring people together."  
**"**My best friend Tom has betrayed me…why?"  
**"**I don't know Gentai."  
**_**A robed figure "destroys" the island.  
**_"**These are some crazy times we live in."  
**"**In my life I've seen terrible things…You're going to see worse."  
**_**Gentai attacks Riku but is blasted backwards, flipping up.  
**_"**You're the Key of the Future Gentai Tanaka. Without you, we leave the fate of the worlds to chance. You must not fail."  
**"**I don't want to do this!"  
**"**Gentai, NO!!"  
**"**It's over."  
**_**Maleficent cause flames to spring up on Isla Cruces.  
**__**Gentai flies around the **_**Flying Dutchman**_** and**_** the Black Pearl.  
**"**I can't do this…"  
**"**Fight back, you traitor, fight back!"  
**_**Everybody summons their Keyblades.**_

**Yup, there's your summary so enjoy till end of October and have fun with Days. In the meantime, please review on every conversation in this chapter and my ending monologue as well as why you think, after all this time, I decided to name it **_**The Existence **_**Trilogy and don't ever forget…**

**Dare to Be Silly, **

**MindReader13**


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